The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time Unofficial Novelization
by Renato Padilla
Summary: The First Great Adventure of Link of the Kokiri Forest. All characters and locations are property of Nintendo. Also My First Project. Special Thanks to M. J. Gallagher for the inspiration! I haven't finished it yet folks, so keep coming back for updates! Hope you enjoy! (Sorry about the typos. I'm fifteen, I'm allowed.).
1. Intro and Chapter One

The Legend of Zelda

For those people that seek an adventure beyond your wildest dreams, I give you the travels and occasional misfortunes of Link of the Kokiri Forest.

The Legend of Zelda is property of Nintendo and I do not own the characters or storyline of this book.

So please don't sue me. !

This book goes dedicated to my friend Emily Sanchez Grey, who gave me Courage, Wisdom and Power when I had only Madness. Thanks Emy.

_Prologue: The Skyward Sword_

"_Legend tells of a man who, though he was not born into chivalry or knighthood, became the most respected warrior of his homeland: The floating island known as Skyloft._

_A man who, to rescue the one he held dear, forged the strongest, most powerful weapon in the History of his world and he called it the "Master Sword"._

_The Master Sword could cut through any metal and ore of the era, any type of bone and flesh, and with it, he rescued his beloved and sealed away the evil that had kept her away from home._

_Years passed, and the warrior became older and wiser, with his spouse by his side and together they came down from Skyloft into the land of Hyrule and there, lived together in peace._

_But that peace would not last long, for there were others who wanted to claim the land of Hyrule, and the magic it held._

_And so from the Great Desert they came: The Gerudos, an all -female clan of warriors from the Desert who were said to be quiet as ghosts and fierce as giants, and Commanding them was their King, one of the only males of the tribe, and his son heir to the leadership his father held._

_And it was so that the Skylian went to defend his new home, leading an army worthy of a King._

_In the wake of battle, shields broke, swords snapped and bones were crippled, but in the end the Hylians where victorious and drove the Gerudos back to the Great Desert._

_But the Warrior´s body was never found, nor was that of the Gerudo King. And the only remnant of he who gave life and limb for the kingdom he called home was the Master Sword, there to protect the world should a new Evil ever arise._

_And now (speak of the Devil) that Evil lies in wait, biding it´s time to come out of the shadows and engulf the world into Darkness._

_Soon the Warrior´s Blade, The Sword of Evil´s Bane, shall awaken to serve a new master…"_

The First Great Adventure:

_The Ocarina of Time._

_**The Boy without a Fairy**_

It was yet another cloudless night over the Kokiri Forest.

The wind was blowing and the trees seemed to be singing along to its whistles.

There wasn't a care in the whispering woods as the Kokiri children slept in their wooden huts and hollow stumps, under the constant vigilance of the Great Deku Tree.

Well, actually, there _was_ a care in the Forest that night, in the house at the middle of a hollow tree, where one of the children was having yet another nightmare.

The skies were turning darker as he approached the enormous wall that was the castle-town's border. The rusty, old chains rattling as the huge wooden drawbridge came crumbling down. The heavy breathing of a young blonde girl, escaping on the back of a speeding white stallion. And then he saw _him_, riding his black horse of extremely shady look. There was a flash of white light, and then his world went black…

Link of the Kokiri Forest woke up panting and sweating as he had been usually doing for the past few weeks. After regaining his bearings, however, he laid down on his wooden bed once again, scratching his pointy ears and his wavy, shoulder-long, blonde hair. He had been experiencing quite a few uncanny nightmares as of late and had not been able to identify the reason of their astonishing nature. The only thing young Link knew for sure was that they always ended with _him_. The man in the black cloak, riding his dark horse.

Link's assumption was that it had something to do with the fact that he was turning thirteen that very day.

You see, dearest reader, to understand our soon-to-be-hero's dilemma, you would have to know a certain fact about the Kokiri children.

While it was true that the children of the Kokiri Forest where a race that where old as Hell itself, that's all they would ever be: Children. Think '_Peter Pan_'. The Kokiri were able to grow to the age of thirteen (some even got to fourteen) and after that point, they were to stay frozen in time as the children they looked like.

Link only thought that confronting his nightmares was enough to take the gift of Immortality along his fellow Kokiri; However, Link thought different to the rest of the Forest's inhabitants.

For the longest time, Link had thought about how he was going to spend the centuries and millennia next to his brethren, but he had also thought, (and this idea pleased him the most) about how it would have been if he were able to grow, like any normal person. Have a life, children, a wife, and all the things that made life worth living…

But in the end of the day, that was not to be, for Link knew that his fate lied with the Kokiri children. But there was a bright side to all this: If he were to live through Hell for thousands upon thousands of years, at least he had his Brothers and Sisters to keep him company through the ages.

After a long while of pondering, Link finally got up from the bed and took off his blue and white pajamas, a little something the Kokiri children had made him for his twelfth birthday since being born, and put on the mark of all Kokiri children: a green tunic he kept in his wooden closet, next to his drawer, strapped along with a red belt with a yellow buckle, and, on his feet, a pair of light brown leather boots. (If you played the game, you'll notice something is missing. I bid you to wait, for it will come into play when time dictates it does.).

After being properly dressed for the occasion, Link decided to go greet the rest of his unbelievably extensive family. He walked around the segment of wooden stump he used as a table in the middle of his hollow tree and parted the curtains that served as a door. The sunlight hit his eyes like sand and it took him a couple of seconds to get accustomed to the brightness of his surroundings, to say nothing of the warm climate and the sweet, fresh spring breeze.

He climbed down the stairwell that connected the ground to his balcony, and went onward for a stroll around the woods.

"Happy Birthday, Link!" came a sweet, squeaky voice Link knew all too well from atop the twins' hut. "How'd you wake on this fine morning?"

(Jaw Drop Incoming.)

"Ah, Gina." Responded Link (_Yes_. I made him speak. Deal with it.) "Quite well, admittedly. And I see you did as well."

"Yup." Said Gina coming down from the second of the two 'towers' of her hut, "Lovely morning, this one. Lucky you."

Gina was about as tall as Link himself and twice as cheery. She had long, orange hair that ran down to a little farther down than her shoulders, strapped by a red head band, and a pair of big blue eyes that always put a smile on everyone's face. She was wearing a long green dress that went down to her ankles and a pair of beige sandals to match, as well as a silver earing in the shape of a star in her pointy right ear. (This seems like a good time to point out that all Kokiri and Hylians had pointy ears.).

"Thank you kindly, Miss" Responded Link, with a grin on his face and a poetic air to his speech. "And good day to you. Say hello to Jenny for me, will ye ma'am?" And after getting an approbatory grin and nod from his long-time friend, off went Link to greet the rest of the Forest.

The next Kokiri child he met that fine morning was a tad shorter than he was and had brown hair covering his eyes. He was wearing a similar tunic to his, except this particular child's tunic didn't have sleeves on the arms, as if to show off his flesh to the rest.

"Morning, Jim." Started our charismatic protagonist. "How's the garden coming along?"

"Link! Ol' buddy, ol' pal! How're ye doing? Happy Birthday Brother!" Responded James, who had just finished moving a rock from one side of his siblings' house to the other.

"Thank you, pal. Appreciate it." Responded Link, a photogenic smile on his face. "Need a hand?"

"Oh no, no, no thank you, it's quite all right, Brother. Besides, it would be selfish of me to ask you to work on _your_ day of all days, wouldn't it?" Responded Jim, grabbing another rock and piling it with the others. "I'll get Jack and John ta help me; You just enjoy the evening."

James, Jack and John where quite a lot like Gina and Jenny (They were Triplets) and they always had each other's backs.

Not only that, but also the fact that, after Saria and Mido, they were pretty much the experts on everything Kokiri-Forest-related had earned them the collective nickname of 'Know-It-All Bros.'.

Any time anyone needed anything, it was these three they came to. Anything from Gardening to Cooking to basic forms of Swordplay, the three brothers always had an answer.

"Fair enough" Replied Link, noticing time was slipping from his grasp and that he had stayed standing there a bit more than anticipated "But if you need another pair of hands, don't hesitate to ask."

However, before Link could dart off to see the next child on his 'to see' list, a fluttering noise filled his ears, and followed by her common green glow, James' Fairy guardian, Cecilia, came flying down to greet him.

"Hello, kiddo! Heard you were turning thirteen today and thought I'd fly by and say hi." She said with her squeaky little voice.

"Hey Cecilia." Answered Link, with a scent of demeanor in his tone, "Thanks for passing by. It's always appreciated."

And before Cecilia could reply, Link darted off as fast and politely as his feet would take him.

There was just something about Fairies that Link, respectful that he was, could never come to understand.

See, when a Kokiri child is born (please don't ask how) they are assigned a Fairy guardian to take care of them from the moment of their birth, to the day of their improbable passing.

So _why _in Farore's name hadn't he got one?

That was a detail that had always bothered Link, and also the reason why some, not many, but still some, of the Kokiri children didn't accept him as one of their own.

Though it was something that bothered him, Link quickly learned not to heed said words of distaste, but it never left his mind that it would have been nice to have someone to share a laugh with in the early days of his youth, instead of just being the 'Boy Without a Fairy'.

It was for this reason that, even though he tried to be kind and respectful, he had never really felt comfortable around Fairies and their ilk.

Finally, Link arrived to an overhanging cliff face that overlooked the clearing in which the huts and houses of the Forest rested as if lying in wait.

It was here that he normally spent his evenings, and he knew this was the place where he would find _her_, watching over everyone as always.

"So," Said a beautiful girl with long, wavy, green hair, "you're finally turning thirteen…"

"Good morning to you too, Saria." Said Link, with a sarcastic tone.

Saria Kokiri was pretty much the big sister you've always wanted to have (even if you already had one.). She was one of the few Kokiri who had aged till fourteen and thus often called 'The Big Sister' of everyone else in the Forest. She had also taken care of Link since before he could walk (a feat she had to perform due to the absence of a guardian Fairy) which, after all these years, still made Link consider her his closest friend and himself lucky to count her as family. Saria also owned a hand-crafted Ocarina made of Deku wood, in which she used to play a cute little jingle that everyone in the Forest had labeled 'Saria's Song' after all the years of hearing it. Aside from all this, however, Saria had also told Link an unbelievable amount of stories and tales of yore, such as the '_Ballad of the Windfish_' or the '_Lone Man and the Dark World'_ or even more complicated and forgotten ones like the '_Adventurer and the Lost Oracles_'. It was tales like those that made Link secretly wish he could go outside the Forest and surpass all the heroes and adventurers of Saria's stories.

However there was a condition about leaving the Forest that Link loathed with all his might. But I'll get to that later on.

"Sorry, but I just can't believe this day actually came." Said Saria, adjusting her big, green, knee-high boots so they stopped the itching in her legs. "I mean, I've known you since you were a baby and now here you are, all grown up."

Link felt a bit of a saddened tone coming from Saria's voice, as if she was upset that he had grown to be the boy standing next to her.

"I'll always be your little brother, Saria." Said Link, putting his arm over her shoulder "And no matter how much I grow, (not like I will much more) I will always stand by your side."

"I know, dummy." She responded "It's just I'm amazed time went by so quickly."

"Don't worry, big sis," Responded our green-clad main character "After tonight, you'll have eternity to chat with me, so it's not like it's the end of the world, right?"

"Yeah, I guess you're right." She smiled back, with that perfect grin Link was so accustomed to. "Besides, I don't think you'll want to see me like this at the Party tonight."

"Party? Heh, so you guys actually went and did it, huh?"

"Like _that's_ a surprise. You've known this was coming for ages."

"Yeah, but I didn't expect you all to make such a fuzz about it."

"Well, we did." Saria said, her tone now cheery and content "So you better enjoy it!"

They went on for hours about the party and the celebrations for the night before Saria went to get ready.

After she was gone, Link needed to kill time somehow, so he decided to do what (besides chatting with Saria) was his favorite hobby: Climbing trees like a squirrel until his feet gave away.


	2. The Meeting

_The Meeting_

Nightfall was upon them and all Kokiri children were making the final preparations for the festivities.

The Forest in whole was gathered around a large campfire that the Know-It-All-Bros. had assembled around in a clearing in the middle of all the houses and huts. The Twins were hanging serpentine around the roofs and tree branches overlapping the party site. Walter, the shopkeeper, was done with his inventory check and was wrapping up a certain piece of merchandise that he knew Link would just love.

There was another Kokiri child aside from all of these and she was in charge of lighting the fire in the middle of the campsite.

Clara Kokiri was a thin brown-eyed girl that had long, blonde hair that went all the way down to her ankles. She wore a green head band like that of the Twins, as well as a green tunic like everyone else in the Forest, with a long, green skirt.

However, Clara being Clara thought that, since it was still a bit too soon to light anything on fire, she could go off to her hut, a cute stump-shaped house with a big hanging Deku leaf on top, and get a Deku Nut from her cupboard. When she had the Nut in her hands, she started to crack it open very slowly; She had to be careful about this because Deku Nuts (If opened rashly) were a pretty good substitute for what in our world we call a 'Flash-Bang Grenade', and she was only looking to mash it's solid core to dust.

Somewhere else in the Forest, Link had just climbed to the top of a huge tree and was relaxing on the top branch when he heard someone call him from down below.

"Hey!" Came the voice of Jenny, Gina's twin sister, beckoning from below "Hope you're done staring into the horizon over there, 'cause were waiting for you!"

Link realized the sun was hiding behind the trees of the Lost Woods, and (with an agility to rival that of a monkey) went jumping down from branch to branch until he reached the ground.

Link accompanied Jenny to the campfire and there he met the rest of the Forest's inhabitants, who were ready to make this night the best of his soon-to-be-unchanging-and-extremely-boring life.

Link wasn't sure what part of the night he liked the most: having a few rounds of mango juice with the Triplets, having a few dances with Clara, or maybe when Saria came in, wearing a long green dress that covered her knees and what looked like a big flower at her back.

One of the most memorable moments, however, was when Clara gave the Twins a handful of Deku Dust that she had mashed from the Nut and they threw it into the fire, as Link and her finished dancing and the flames rose high as the tallest trees and then continued to shine blue. Another nice moment was when the Triplets gave Link a Slingshot as a birthday present, which he fell in love with immediately. It was a 'Y' shaped piece of hard Deku wood, with a handle wrapped in cloth and silk, and red, rubbery tips connecting the rope with the ammo bed to the body. The Triplets also explained that the most effective thing to use the Slingshot with were Deku Seeds, which he could find basically anywhere. They also gave him a white pouch with the Slingshot painted on it for carrying the Seeds.

But there was one moment unlike the rest that made Link gap in awe: The moment when Walter came in with a box wrapped in green and brown cloth. Walter Kokiri was the shopkeeper who, though kind and comprehensive, was also particularly short-tempered and all folks in the Forest had at least one memory of a younger Link messing around in the shop. (Which usually caused Walter to not-so-proverbially rip out his own hair, which was orange and well combed as they always saw him.).

Link took the box in his hands and (insert all-time-classic 'Item Get' jingle here) took out a rough wooden Shield with the symbol of the Kokiri drawn in red in the middle.

Link remembered sneaking into the shop one too many times to play with that Shield (granted it was literally just a piece of fancy wood with handles) and pretending to be one of the heroes from Saria's bedtime stories.

To this day Link still treasures the Shield Walter gave him, and he hangs it in a wall at home.

It had been a long night for everyone, and Link made ready for bed, as he left his Slingshot atop his drawers next to his Shield, hanging on his wall. "Let it be known," he thought before going to sleep "that we Kokiri know how to throw a party." And then he fell asleep.

But not only the Kokiri children had watched Link turn thirteen that night, for a few miles away, the Great Deku Tree watched over them, not as he always had, happy and joyful, but wary and cautious about its children. And so, as if talking to itself, it thought of only one thing before the night was through. "It's time for the 'Boy Without a Fairy' to finally have his heart's desire."

After everyone had gone to sleep in their respective huts and houses, something occurred atop the branches of the Great Deku Tree early in the morning, as the first rays of sunlight bathed the clearing the children lived in. There, on top of the Forest, where all could be seen, two so-called people were having yet another conversation.

"Do you understand what you must do?" Asked the Great Deku Tree.

"Yes, I do, Forest Father." Responded a Fairy with long, sleek, black hair that reached her waist and pushed against her cyan nightgown, almost reaching her sandals. "But are you sure it's him? I mean, there are a lot more Kokiri to choose from…"

"You must understand that it cannot be anyone else. The Evil I sense is far too great to wait for someone else."

"If that is your wish, Forest Father," She responded "then I shall carry it out."

"Very well. The sun is rising and he must be waking up soon. So bring him to me and let us hope- nay, pray- that I have not been too late."

"It shall be done, Great Deku Tree."

"Then, fly, Navi, fly!" Responded the Tree, his tone now one of great despair "For the future of Hyrule, if not the World, depends upon it!"

And so Navi flew, as fast as her four, silken, insect-like wings would take her, through the Forest's branches and trees, through the clearing's fences and decors (though she _did_ crash with a fence along the way) all the way into the hollow tree that served as a house to Link.

And there she found him, sleeping like the log he lived in, and cordially as she could, she started towards him, ready to wake him up.

And so, she cleared her throat and, with all the most cordial of tones, she began to speak:

"Hello, Link! I am Navi and I have been entrusted with an important mission by the Great Deku Tree himself. He requires me to guide you to him as soon as possible!"

This would have been actually rather convenient to hear, and a Hell of a start to their companionship, had Link been awake.

Upsetting as this was, Navi could understand that it had been a Hell of a night for her boy, but she needed him awake.

And so, she started pushing him against the wall that was behind his bed, shouting and screaming for him to listen to her.

"Oh, _COME ON!_ I mean, I get the Forest Father wants your help and all, but can Hyrule's fate really depend on such a lazy boy?"

And then, as if on cue, Link started twisting.

Link's Awakening had not been a pleasant one (See what I did there?), but it worked nonetheless, and Navi took her chance after her boy had wiped his eyes and scratched his head as per usual.

"Who are you? And what are you doing in my tree?" Link woke, not exactly content about the winged, sky-blue ball of light that was flying in front of him.

"Well _finally_ you're awake!" Responded the Fairy "So allow me to introduce myself." She cleared her throat and began: "Greetings and Salutations, Link! I am Navi, and the Great Deku Tree has entrusted me to be your guardian Fairy from this day forward. Lucky you, eh?"

Link could not believe his overly-pointy ears.

"_A Fairy? After all these years? A birthday present from the Great One, surely._" He though. Was it what it were, Link had never thought the day would come when a Fairy would fly through his window.

"You're my guardian Fairy?" He said, his eyes widening "Took your sweet time didn't you?"

"Well, that's _rude._ Though I do understand why you would be annoyed. Look it hasn't been a walk in the meadows for me neither. I mean, do you _know_ (though you probably do) what it's like to be the only 'Fairy Without a Boy' in the whole damn Forest?"

"Feels like Hell, don't it?" Continued Link, instantly bonding with the creature.

"Oh, like all _seven_ of them." She kept on "But we'll have time for bonding later. Right now the Great Deku Tree wants to see you!"

"The Forest Father?" He said getting up from his bed "Lead the way, Tinkerbell!" (Sorry, couldn't help it.)

Link changed faster than ever before and ran like Hell was chasing him out of his hollow tree. He strapped his Shield onto his back and the Slingshot around his waist, holding it to his belt along with the Seed pouch.

And no sooner had he come down from his balcony than Saria was there waiting for him at the foot of the stairs along with her own guardian Fairy, Mihael.

"Goddesses" She said, gaping in marvel "I saw the light come through your window, but I didn't think it was true."

"Well, well, Navi." Said Mihael with his poetic tone, himself a ball of crimson light in the eyes of others. "It appears you finally got what you wanted."

"I guess you could say that." She replied, a bit shy on Link's ears.

"Well, thank Hylia for that. I was getting worried that you might not get one on the long run." Said Saria, her cheery voice a delightful thing to hear.

"Well, I did." Said Link, with a nod toward his newfound companion. "And lucky me, I got the cute one."

"Well, isn't that nice of you." Said Navi, putting her right hand over her left arm, between the shoulder and the elbow. A nervous habit she had acquired from all the rashes and bruises she usually ended up getting from all her clumsy flying.

"Not to mention quite accurate." Continued Mihael, with yet a more poetic tone. (He was 'posh' like that).

You could see Navi's face turning red from the peak of the Dark World's Pyramid, and that's in another dimension.

So with a grin on his face and a temporarily red Fairy instead of a light-blue one, Link said goodbye to Saria and Mihael and off he went into the passage of the Great Deku Tree's grotto.

"The Hell was _that_ about?" Said Navi, in a tone between grateful and pissed.

"What, that? That was just an honest opinion. Really, that's it." Said Link, giving her a smile "Though the way you just turned red was priceless."

"Kid, you're lucky I'm about the size of a lantern, or I would strangle you right here."

But before the argument could continue, they arrived to the entrance of the passage that went even deeper into the Forest, and came face-to-face with the one person they did not want to meet. (By 'they' I mostly mean Link.).

"And just where do _you_ think you're going, eh?" Came the bossy, exasperating voice of Mido Kokiri.

Okay, so you remember how I told you some Kokiri never accepted Link as one of their own? Well, by 'some' I meant Mido.

Mido Kokiri was easily the cockiest, most annoying living thing in the whole of the Lost Woods. He had three short, ginger hair strands over his forehead and shoulder-long hair in the back of his head. Mido wore the typical Kokiri tunic, but had it ripped a bit on the neck, as if to make the throat of a shirt, and near the ankles, as if to show a bit of distinction from the other Kokiri. He had a pair of small scars of unknown origin at the side of his face that he liked to show off, as if demanding respect.

See, the thing about Mido wasn't that he wasn't a good person. But the fact that he was extremely pompous and proud of the fact that he was the strongest of the Kokiri, and also one of the few who had aged till fourteen. He thought the latter gave him authority over the rest, and in turn, started going by the self-imposed title of 'Mido the Great: Leader of the Kokiri'. You haven't the faintest idea how exasperating it can be to be stuck with this guy for eternity. Really, I mean it. Like, picture the most annoying and utterly disgusting character a person can have and then triple it. That's somewhat close to Mido-level annoyingness.

(What, no spellcheck? Wow. Apparently 'Annoyingness' actually was a word. The more you know right?).

He was the last person Link had wanted to see that day.

See again, readers, Mido simply despised Link more than any other thing that drew breath over the face of Knaveth (The world they inhabited) and Link had always responded in kind. The reason for this was that, though Mido respected the Great Deku Tree, Link had always been closer to the hunk-a-wood than any other Kokiri had ever been (save Saria, naturally) and, Mido being Mido, couldn't feel anything but hatred towards the guy that, not only was the Tree's favorite, but Saria's as well. The way Mido saw things, he was the strongest, most capable of the Kokiri, and yet, they chose the 'Boy Without a Fairy' over him.

The way Link saw things? Mido was just being an idiot. _Again_.

"Hello, Mido. Good morning to you as well." Said Link, telling himself to restrain the urge to hit him with all his might.

"Thanks. Now screw off."

"Not happening, Mido. I need to see the Great Deku Tree."

"Hah!" Responded Mido, with a mocking flair to his line "And what important matters would the Great Deku Tree have with you, eh "Mister No Fairy?"

"_Excuse me_. I'm flying over here. I find those overlooks very rude." Blasted Navi, just dying to see Mido's face.

" _WHAAAT!?_ Who the Hell are you?!" Responded Mido, shocked by the little light-ball.

"Oh, right. You haven't met." Said Link, with the biggest, most victorious grin he had ever had the pleasure of showing "She flew in this morning. Mido, meet Navi. Navi, Mido."

"The Forest Father summoned Link to see him this morning." Navi continued.

"_HE SUMMONED YOU?!"_

"You might want to speak a little louder, I think there's a few Scrubs in the Woods that didn't hear you." Responded Link, still not able to hide his enormous grin.

(A _LOT_ of arguing later…)

"Fine!" Said Mido, his anger immeasurable "But as you know, it's dangerous in there and (I can't believe I'm even saying this, but) I can't let you in until you're properly equipped. Otherwise you'd get killed and, pleasant as that would be for me, Saria would hate me for not stopping you. The plants are getting vicious, you see?"

"Amazing, that you're actually concerned for me Mido, even if not for _me, _but I have a Shield and a Slingshot, so it's not like I'm going in ill-prepared."  
_"A Shield and a Slingshot_? That's _it?"_

"_Yes_, that's it. Now would you _kindly_ let me through?"

"I don't know what you believe 'properly equipped' means, but in my book, it means at the _very least_ to carry a sword." Mido replied, still loathing the fact that he was having that conversation.

"Then I guess we got here _just_ in time." Came a voice from behind them, and trotting as joyfully as ever, Saria came into scene with a box in her hands, followed by Mihael who was carrying a tiny, white bag on his.

"Hey, big sis." Said Link, pondering the meaning of the strange sentence "What's up?"

"What's _'up'_, little brother" She said holding out the box and the bag, "is that I'm about to help you out of this."

As Link opened the box, he wanted to hug Saria right there and then, for inside the box was a beautifully-crafted Shortsword that Link just couldn't stop looking at.

"In our excitement last night, we forgot to give you your birthday present." She said, blushing slightly. "Sorry we're late."

The Sword had a wooden hilt, with light-brown cloth and silk wrapped around it, with a yellow and red gem embedded in the top of the hilt, and on its edge, a pattern of runes.

"This is the Kokiri Blade. It's been an heirloom of the first of our people for millennia, and now you get to wield it. The Runes read: _'May this Blade bring honor and pride to our race'_." Said Saria, embedding in Link a sense of honor and responsibility he had never felt before.

"What's in the bag?" Asked Navi, finally taking her sparkly, cyan eyes off the Kokiri Blade.

"That's a little something we've been gathering." Answered Mihael, passing Link the bag.

Inside of the bag there were five Deku Nuts all bundled together, and a Compass, should he get lost in the Woods.

"It's dangerous to go alone, Link" Said Saria, (Okay, be honest, you were waiting for that line, weren't you?) "So we thought we'd give you a hand."

Link strapped his Nut Bag (don't start me) around his waist, opposite to the Seed Pouch, placed the Sword's sheath around his torso, and again with that victorious grin looked straight at Mido and said: "Very well Mido, I got a Sword, a Shield, a Slingshot, a couple of Deku Nuts and a Compass. Can I go through now?"


	3. The Forest Path

_The Forest Path_

Link and Navi went off into the whispering Woods, never forgetting the look on Mido's face as he saw himself forced to let them through.

The top branches of the trees were hurled together far above their heads, as if to make an arched pathway to the Forest Father's clearing.

The ruffled leaves crunching and snapping at Link's feet, along with the windy climate, would have set up quite the creepy scene, had it been a tad darker that evening and had Link not had Navi's tender light to lead him through the Woods.

Link had the Kokiri Blade drawn, looking at it with the most astonished of looks.

The Blade of his ancestors and theirs before them. That was something Link had only heard of in Saria's stories, like the one in the _'Wood-Knight and the Sleeping Princess'_ or _'The_ _Adventurer and the Dark World'_, and it was stories like those that made Link respect the silver edge of the weapon with such… _well,_ _respect_. However, there was one thing he could not understand: _How in Knaveth had Saria gotten the Sword in the first place?_

"So, what was it like for you?" Started Navi, pushing Link from his thoughts and returning him to the present.

"What was what like?" He replied, cautiously putting the Blade back in its sheath.

"Growing up." She revealed "Without a Fairy, I mean."

"Oh, that." He continued, not entirely comfortable "Well, admittedly it wasn't that bad (probably because I had Saria and the rest of the Kokiri children taking care of me) but it was still kinda hard. You?"

"Pretty much the same, except in my case I didn't have Saria (or anyone like her for that matter) to help me carry myself from the dust." She responded, facing the ground and putting her hand over her arm.

Link could feel the pain in Navi's voice. He hadn't thought about how he might have grown up in comparison to her. _'Hell, in_ _hindsight'_ He thought _'I got off easy.' _He thought things couldn't have been worse than what he had had to go through, and the mere thought of it made him gain a lot of respect for the tiny creature.

"Sorry." He said "I didn't mean to make you relive that."

"Don't worry. It's not your fault." She replied, and then the two went silent.

As they were walking in silence, the two stopped in their tracks, for they had heard a fast rustling noise around the edges of the path, and Link instinctively reached for the handle of the Kokiri Blade.

The noise went quicker and quicker the more time passed, adrenaline flowing through the duo's veins, wary about all around them.

And then, the noise stopped. Link was wearily moving forwards as he looked and heard for any sign of movement, nervously clutching the hilt of the ancient Blade with his left hand and keeping his Shield high with his right.

But the noise didn't return. After a while of standing his ground in anticipation of something dangerous, Link got to the conclusion that the noise had probably just been some sort of wild animal scavenging for food, and, holstering his Blade, decided to just keep going onward. Navi, on the other hand, still listened for anything suspicious, and kept going along with wary wings.

After a while of awkward, silent walking, Link finally decided to speak.

"You know? I don't think I would have been able to grow like that. I mean, it must have been horrible for you to have had to pull that off, so if you ever feel like talking about it, Navi, I'm here for you."

"Thank you, Link." She answered, finally finding someone to relate to after all those years "It really means a lot."

"You're very welcome, Navi." Continued Link "And, if I may say so, you strike me as a really brave kind of Fairy. I mean, I've been there. The mockery, the jokes, the whispering behind your back… You've got to be quite brave to live up to all that on your ow-"

But then, he was cut off by Navi, who had pushed her tiny, little hands against his mouth, and had a worried air around her.

And Link soon found out why, for the noise had returned, now even closer than before, and as Link reached for his Sword, a great, flytrap-looking plant came out of the ground, its green, long stem swinging wildly, and brandishing a mouthful of huge razor-sharp teeth and a long, yellow slimy tongue. Link could see the creature's red, thick veins around its open mouth, contrasting its blue exterior, and he could feel Navi flutter about around the area, as if struck by panic.

(And who wouldn't? I mean, you got a giant freakin' _mantrap_ trying to eat you! Try to tell me _you_ wouldn't be scared.)

Aroused as he was from the sudden attack, and worried as Navi was herself, Link kept his wits about himself, remembering from the Triplet's lessons in Swordplay (or Stickplay in their case) that the second you lose your posture, you lose your life. And so he stood, Shield raised high at the monster, Sword at the ready.

The plant kept its mouth pointed at him and bit the air a few times, as if to throw him off guard. Link was terrified by the creature's looks, but even still he managed to block its attack, which resulted with the plant sinking its teeth right through the Shield, but not being able to close its mouth entirely. Link's enemy pushed him down to the ground, its giant mouth a Shield away from his face.

"You know," Said Link, as the plant swung his Shield from side to side "You might want to reconsider this. I mean, I'm not even that tasty. Besides, it might not be the safest of ideas, eating something that's about your size whole. Ever thought of that?"

But the creature still bit, and Link got more tired and more tired of holding the creature at bay. And then Link heard yet another rustling noise, and, still blocking the plant's teeth and lying on the ground, turned his head around to see Navi, holding and pulling at the stem of yet another mantrap that had sprouted a few meters away, and which was trying to bite him as well. Link noticed Navi wasn't going to last very long against the oversized creature.

"Get offa' me, you oversized bundle-o-weed!" Belowed Link, as he put a foot on the ground and rose as fast as he could, throwing the creature backwards, which, in the end, turned out to be quite convenient, for Navi gave out on her grip on the stem of the second plant, making it lounge at Link at top speed. Link dodged the bite by the skin of his teeth, and the second plant passed right beside him, and, unable to control its own speed, ended up biting the stem of the first plant, causing it to cry out in pain.

"Link!" Cried out Navi "Quick, cut the stem!"

Link instinctively heeded Navi's command and thrust the Kokiri Blade right through the second plant's stem like a machete through vines. The plant howled out in pain one last time before it's big, blue mouth was separated from its stem, and eventually falling to the ground and dying. With the second plant down for the count, it was a thousand times easier to concentrate on the first plant, which had recovered from the bite and was (figuratively) looking at Link with its mouth wide open. Link evaded the plant's next couple of attacks, but at the third he couldn't help but think of a way out of the battle. It was a risky move to try, but if he could pull it off, he would get the opening he needed. And so, as soon as the plant lounged at him, Link stood his ground with his Shield lowered to the height of his waist, leaving his torso and head exposed. The plant was inches from his face when Link managed to pull off the trick he had thought of to the letter: He raised his Shield just as the plant's head was over it, knocking the spawn back and over, and making it stay tall and upright, gazing at the heavens as if petrified. Though Link did not understand the reason for this, he gave it no importance at the moment, as he thrust his Blade sideways through the now solid stem of the plant, slaying the monster and gaining himself and Navi a moment of peace.

"Mido was right." Said Link, casually swinging the Blade to cleanse it of blood and watching the big, blue mouth of his foe wither away, leaving only a petrified Stick of Deku wood "The plants _were_ getting vicious."

"Those were Deku Babas." Said Navi, recalling the teachings of the Great Deku Tree.

"You know those things?" Link asked, sitting by a tree to catch his breath.

"The Forest Father is very wise, and knows something about almost every being in the country." She replied, sitting on Link's shoulder "So I asked him if he could teach me."

"So, you're pretty much a flying bestiary?"

"Yup, pretty much. So if anything else comes our way, I'll see what I can do. (Granted we see said creature coming, of course.)."

"Honestly, from where I'm sitting, you do quite a lot already." Said Link, smiling at his accurately-named guardian "I mean if you hadn't grabbed that second Baba, I would have lost an arm, _at least._"

"Oh, that? Honest to Hylia, that was just me panicking, so thanks, but don't expect any more of that, ok?" She said, with her hand on her arm once again.

"Noted." Said Link, wiping his brow, and wearing a smile on his face. "And Navi?"

"Yes?"

"I'm glad to have you by my side."

And off they went again, Link standing up and Navi taking flight.


	4. The Curse of the King of Thieves

_The Curse of the King of Thieves_

They kept going at quite a steady pace, taking care not to engage anything suspicious or odd-looking, in fear that it might be yet another foul creature, hoping for easy dinner.

"Say, Navi?" Link began, hoping to ask her about something that had been stuck on the back of his mind. "When I knocked the Baba over, it stayed still, like it was paralyzed or something. What was that about?"

"Oh, well you see," She explained "Deku Babas have these things in the back of their tongues, and when they meet the rays of the sun, they somehow react to them and throw a pulse through the plant's stem, and that leaves them petrified for a while."

"So that's why the stick was so still? Because it was literally petrified?" He kept on, perplexed by his guardian's knowledge. "No wonder their mouths are so big. It's to hide the tongue from the sunlight, right?"

"That would be my guess, yes." She replied, glowing a bit more, since the sun was hiding and the sky had begun to turn dark.

"Heh, fair enough. I wonder if this Stick will actually come in handy." Link continued, looking at the petrified stem of the first Deku Baba, a prize he had taken to commemorate his first victory in battle.

"Who knows? It just might do if we ever need to light a torch or something." Navi said, starting to sound a bit tired.

"Are you okay?" Came Link "You're starting to sound a bit tired." (Told you.).

"I'm doing fine, but it's getting darker, and, admittedly, I could use a nap." She said, starting to hover lower and lower.

Link took Navi on the palm of his hand, and he put her inside of the Nut Pouch, which, to their surprise, was actually quite comfortable.

"You know?" She said, between yawns "This is actually rather nice."

She positioned herself next to the Deku Nuts and, after retrieving her silken wings, fell deep and fast asleep.

Link had taken a liking to the tiny creature, as if they had known each other forever, and was really enjoying her company. There was just something about Navi that reminded Link about the many years he had had to endure, being the 'Boy Without a Fairy', the odd one out, and now, after all those years, finally relating to someone.

He kept going through the path for a while, not once dropping his guard, and moving forward with quick, wary steps for the next twenty minutes or so, at which point, surprisingly enough, Navi came blasting out of the pouch and glowing bright enough to temporarily blind Link of his surroundings.

"Done already?" Asked Link, perplexed about the short amount of time it had taken Navi to get her energy back.

"Yup, that's it." She said, with the vocal strength of someone that's been awake for hours. "We Fairies are quite different to you Kokiri regarding the amount of time we need to sleep."

"Quite, the opposite actually." Link continued, taking his hands off his eyes "I could keep going on for a couple of days without the need of a bed, and then collapse on the first one I encountered for hours upon hours."

"Seems like we aren't the most likely pair to go together, huh?" Said Navi, stretching her silken wings.

"It appears like opposites _do_ attract." He kept on "Even if not in the way people believe they do."

"It appears so." Navi replied, sitting on her boy's shoulder once more.

It had gone completely dark now, and the Forest around them was starting to feel a little less like home, the branches swaying in the wind, the dry, dead leaves falling off the trees they once inhabited.

"Hey, Navi?" Link asked, wondering about something that was actually semi-relevant to the plot "Are there any more creatures around this part of the Woods I should watch out for?"

"Not really." Navi replied, not being able to think of a creature menacing enough to be worthy of mentioning "I mean, there _are_ probably a few Deku Scrubs around, but their kind sees you carry a Sword anywhere near them, they'll plead for their lives, no matter _how_ good or bad you are at brandishing a weapon."

"So we're clear?"

"It's most likely we are, yes" She replied, her gaze focused on the way ahead "Now hurry up, the meadow is this way and we've kept the Forest Father waiting long enough."

They kept walking for a few more minutes until finally (after a completely unnecessary chapter) they arrived to the small hill, overlooking the meadow of the Great Deku Tree.

And they called it the _Great_ Deku Tree for a reason, because that tree was so freakishly huge, merely its surface holding such an impotent flair to itself, that Link couldn't help but gap in amazement at the appearance of the so-called 'Forest Father', its giant, magnificent leaves growing to the heavens.

The front of its surface alone was astonishing, (and kind of odd-looking admittedly) for it had a pair of long, thick, overlaid pieces of wood over a part of its surface that was shaped like a cone of sorts, as if to form the shape of eyebrows and a nose, and below it was yet another pair of similar pieces of wood, forming the shape of a smooth, (and in comparison to its 'eyebrows') thin mustache.

"Forest Father? It's me, Navi." The Fairy began, flying a little closer to the enormous Tree "I've returned, and I've brought Link as you requested."

The Tree's surface did not move the slightest bit, and yet Link and Navi could hear its voice as if the one saying them was standing right beside them.

"At last. You've come." It started, with an old, weary voice "and just in time, for I have a request to make of you."

"What is it that you ask of me, Great Deku Tree?" Asked Link, bowing to his elder.

"What I request of you, is something that you must prove you're able to do, young one. But first, I require you to know about a certain person, and a certain event that is happening a long, long ways away from here." Continued the Forest Father, its voice growing cold and harsh.

Link sat on the side of the small hill, and with the most polite of tones said: "Then tell me, Forest Father, so I may come to your aid in your time of need."

"Far to the west, there is a great and vast Desert, from whence a man came, driven by only hunger for a power that was not to be his own." Kept on the Great Tree, as the night went colder, and the leaves on the nearby flora began to sway in the wind. "He contacted me through my dreams and, though he did not state his name, he asked me to reveal the location of a power so mighty and uncontrollable, that (in hands such as his) would bring nothing but chaos and destruction. But let it be known: I would not let him have said power for as long as my roots held life. So alas, this man, who went, instead of a name, by the title of _'King of Thieves'_, bestowed upon me a curse so tremendously powerful, that even I (being the source of magic of the land) cannot undo it."

"How would you have us help you, Forest Father?" Said Link, concerned for the deity he had always considered a father "I mean, there must be something we can do, right?"

"I will not lie to you, children." The Tree continued, "My time on this world is short if the entity he, the 'King of Thieves', has bestowed inside me is not vanquished immediately. So I ask you to help me rid myself of this pain with your Courage and Wisdom, so I can further protect the power that evil man desires. Dost thou have bravery enough to undertake this task?"

"Do not fret, Great Deku Tree." Said Navi, her voice serious and focused like never before "We'll take care of that curse!"

"Navi's right, sire." Link continued, rising from his sitting position and clutching the hilt of his blade "We won't let you down!"

"Then enter, my children, and rid me of the Evil that has taken residence in my being."

And then, the earth shook, as if a slight tremor occurred in that very moment, and the Forest Father slowly opened a giant hole beneath the thick layers of wood that compiled its smooth mustache, as if to make the shape of a huge mouth, to allow them passage.

And so, nervous as they were for the great responsibility bestowed to them, Link and Navi wandered forwards, into the Inside of the Great Deku Tree.

The inside of the Forest Father was a long, open, cylinder-shaped hollow trunk, with a great, white web covering a large hole in the floor, and thick pieces of huge, wooden branches along the 'walls' that made their way up to the top of the Tree in the form of a divided spiral staircase, up to a thick, wooden platform that overlooked the entrance, the web and the way down, surrounding the walls of the (to call it so) Dungeon.

"Up or down?" Asked Link, considering his options.

"I'd suggest we go up first, if that's ok with you." Answered Navi, flying a little higher than the height of Link's eyes.

"Upwards it is, then."

Link climbed the overlapping branches with ease, as he had been doing whenever he had gotten bored in the years prior to his thirteenth birthday, and, with Navi floating by his side, got to the top fairly easily, always feeling the snapping of a thousand twigs beneath his feet.

"You know?" Said Navi, noticing Link had gotten to the top a few seconds before her "You're terrific at climbing."

"Why, thank you Navi. I've had a lot of practice." Link replied.

He was just done catching his breath from all the climbing (which, admittedly, wasn't much breath to catch for a guy that's spent his entire childhood climbing trees) when he heard a screeching noise coming from the ceiling.

When Link turned up, he saw, to his horror and Navi's both, a huge, yellow legged spider, with eyes red as rubies, and on its back, a huge, hard shell in the shape of a skull.

"That's a Skulltula!" Said Navi, adverting Link of the creature "Don't bother attacking the shell, it won't work! You have to hit its underside!"

"Yeah, see, that's most likely easier said than done, Navi!" Responded Link, watching as the large arachnid dropped from the ceiling at top speed and hung itself from a thin thread, dropping to the ground immediately afterwards.

The Skulltula stared at Link, its eight red eyes fixed on his prey like flies to a flame, and then it lounged at incredible velocity, making Link take a few steps back, and barely blocking the attack with his battered Shield.

The fierce monster jumped at our hero, flipping in the air and shooting its thread up high to the ceiling, as if to swing itself like a pendulum at the young protagonist, not once letting its shell face a way other than Link's.

Link noticed, however, that after the creature had swung itself to no avail, it had detached from the ceiling immediately, leaving itself open for no attacks whatsoever.

Nevertheless, Link also realized that when the creature swung by its thread, it couldn't control its own movement, and was forced to swing forward once the thread had been expelled. With this critical information about his bewildering enemy in hand, Link almost instantly started thinking of a plan on how to rid himself of the hideous creature.

"Navi? Do you think you could do something for me?" He said, a plan forming in his mind.

"What do you have in mind?" She asked, again falling into panic.

"I'm going to make it swing, and then knock it off balance!" He cried out, remembering the Slingshot he had wrapped around his waist, and blocking a few more lounges and swings from the huge spider "When it's spinning away from me, you're gonna have to cut the thread! Think you can pull it off?"

"I'll do my best!" Navi replied, flying high up to the ceiling.

"_Okay, kid."_ Though Link, hoping his mad idea of a plan worked _"You better pull this off!"_

As the Skulltula lounged at him yet again, Link lounged back at it with his Shield at his front, pushing his foe backwards. The spider landed smoothly on its feet, screeching at Link with a sound that made his bones shiver. And then, as expected, again swung the arachnid, going straight for Link's face. Link tossed himself backwards, and after landing roughly on his back, took the Slingshot from around his waist, and aimed for the side of the Skulltulas's shell. As Link had jumped backwards, the spider saw itself forced to swing a second time, and that's when Link took his chance, with reflexes fast as lightning, he took aim, held his breath and released the Deku Seed he had been resting in the Slingshot's ammo bed, and hitting the Skulltula on the right side of its shelled body.

"Navi, _NOW__!"_ Our protagonist commanded, just as the spider spun uncontrollably over its own thread, and Navi flew, quick as the wind, and grabbed the silky, thick thread and snapped it in half with her tiny hands.

Link watched his idea bear fruits, as the Skulltula landed roughly on the floor shell-down, leaving its soft, brown underside exposed. Link ran as fast as he could, holstering the Slingshot, brandishing the Kokiri Blade, and stabbing the horrid creature right through its black and rotten core.

Link swung the blade once again, to cleanse it of the bright, green blood of his unmoving foe, whose eight yellow legs had retracted together at the time of its passing, and watching as Navi flew down to float beside him, whipping the Skulltula's thread off on her light blue nightgown.

"You came up with a plan quite quickly." Said Navi, recognizing her friend's natural ease for matters of the sort.

"What, that?" Said Link, a sarcastic grin on his face, and a wink in his eye "Honest to Hylia, that was just me panicking, so thanks, but-"

"'Don't expect any more'?" Navi replied, remembering her own line.

"Oh no, _do_ expect more. Just try not to be _too_ impressed next time, 'kay?" Link concluded, with a grin so large that (had there been any holes in the wooden walls) you could have seen it from outside the Tree.

Finally being able to look around the platform they were standing on, Link and Navi notice a golden, metallic post around Link's height coming from the wooden floor, atop it a burning flame.

(Now I'm going to ask you, dearest reader, not to ask where these convenient objects and contraptions come from, because honest to God, I don't know.).

"A torch post?" Link wondered. "What's it doing _here_. Not like I'm complaining, though. The weather in here is quite cold."

"I don't know." Navi replied "But maybe it has something to do with-"

And there, she stopped in her tracks, remembering the web that covered the hole at the bottom of the hollow trunk of the Great Deku Tree. And down she flew, down and down to the web, beckoning Link to stay on the platform, and when she reached the web, she could see, through the separated threads that compiled it, another room, like a miniature version of the one they were in, a small, pond-like body of transparent water at its center, perfectly aligned with the web.

She was very careful when going through the web, taking care not to become stuck in the sticky trap, and when she made it to the other side (and got a closer look at it), she realized the body of water was actually really deep, and went on for meters upon meters, and beside the surface of the 'pond' there was a long corridor, where the wood was dark and misty.

"Link?" She called out across the Tree "Remember how you said you hoped that stick you took from the Deku Baba would come in handy?"

"Yes, why?" Link's voice echoed back.

"Light it on fire." Navi commanded "Once it's lit, throw it down to the web."

Recognizing his partner's brilliant idea, Link lit the Deku Stick on the golden post's fire and, after carefully aiming, threw the makeshift torch into the large spider web, catching it on fire and ridding the duo of the sticky obstacle.

"Good thinking Navi!" Link called out, congratulating his little friend.

"Thanks, now go back down the branches and see if you can drop into this pond over here!" She called back.

"Coming!" Said Link, but as he was about to come down the branches, another crazy idea formed in his mind.

"Navi?" He said, a malicious smile forming on his face "Just how deep does that pond go?"

"It's pretty freaking deep!" She answered "I can't see the bottom! But stop wasting time and get down the branches!"

"Get down the branches?" Said Link rubbing his hands together "But where, _oh where_, is the fun in _that_?"

"Hold on!" Bellowed Navi, realizing her companion's intention "Don't even think-"

"_GERONIMO!__"_

_Splash!_

"You. Are. Mental!" Navi nagged him as he climbed out of the pond, safe and sound.

"And _that_ was awesome!" Responded Link, his wet clothing an uncomfortable burden over his body.

"No, _that_ was stupid!" She continued "You could have died!"

"Navi, its _fine._" Link answered, pushing his wet hair from over his face "I'm alive aren't I? I've done this before, see, whenever I needed to get down from a tall tree the quick way."

"Well you could have told me that _before_ you made the jump! You scared the crap out of me!"

"Ok, ok. Sorry, Navi." Link continued, surrounding the pond and rejoining his friend.

"Well, don't do it again!" She said, crossing her arms in anger "I'm supposed to be your guardian. I mean, do you _know_ what would happen to me if you died?! Besides…" She lingered, putting her hand in her arm.

"Besides, _what?" _Link responded, growing tired of her scolding.

"Besides," she continued, her tone now pitiful and soft "If you died, I'd be all alone again…"

Link's heart sank more than _he_ had in that pond after hearing this. He hadn't given Navi's condition a thought as he jumped. If something _had_ happened to him, not only would Navi be alone inside the Great Tree, but she would be alone entirely, and Link (with the exception of having Saria by his side) knew that pain all too well.

"Navi?" He started, looking at his friend "Seriously, sorry. I really didn't mean to scare you like that."

"I know you didn't." She replied, flinging her arms around his neck "It's just I worry about you, ok?"

"Yeah, I get it." He ended, putting a wet, soft finger over his guardian's back, and, after a few seconds of this, onwards they went through the dark passage that lied to the side of the room, its mysterious mist unsettling to the two.


	5. Gohma

_Gohma_

They went cautiously, Link's weapon drawn, and Navi's glow growing dim, as if not to attract attention, and soon got to the end of the corridor, into a huge, cavernous room, that had slimy and dark wooden pillars, a fog cloud so dense you could cut it with a knife, and an air that was cold as ice.

"Link?" Navi started "Do you feel something weird?"

"Like you're being watched?" He replied, reading his partner's thoughts "Yeah, I feel it too."

And how right they were, for Link went onwards only a few more steps, before hearing the tapping on the dark room's ceiling, followed by a searing screech.

And then, the duo turned their gaze upwards, gazing in a level of terror that none of the two had ever felt before, as on the ceiling there was the most gigantic spider you can imagine, it's eight gigantic legs taking quick, steady steps on the roof of the cavernous room, it's grey, rune-filled skin armored at its back, and in the one hole of said armor, a giant, shiny, yellow eye, looking down upon its prey.

"Hylia's Grace" Navi said, gasping in horror at the gargantuan creature, a terror in her voice that no one and nothing should ever be guilty of carrying "It's real."

"Queen Gohma is real." Link stated, his lips trembling and his body overcome by fear.

Link remembered Queen Gohma from the tales that Saria had told him as a child, but seeing the enormous creature up close, (and even worse, being forced to slay it) was something that Link had hoped he never had had to do.

Their bodies trembling, the two made ready to face the giant spawn, hoping, and praying, it wasn't the last thing they did.

And so, the giant spider came down from the ceiling quick as it could, its eight red front eyes fixed on our heroes, its eight long legs slithering by the pillars of the dark and misty room.

Navi flew high as she could, and shone as bright as she could, as if to blind the ginormous monster, while Link ran around the side of the room, evading the spider's legs as they swung wildly at him, making his spine run cold.

This went on for a while, as Link and Navi tried to come up with a plan.

And then, as if by magic, Navi's mind came up with a risky, yet profitable strategy, that, if it worked, might give Link a chance against the gargantuan monstrosity.

And so she flew, straight into Link's pouch, and from there took a Deku Nut and flew off with it, high up to the ceiling, hoping for Gohma to look at her.

Meanwhile Link, as if reading Navi's mind, decided to stop running and, instead, stand his ground, entrusting his life to the tiny Fairy. He took his Slingshot out and fired almost every Seed he had at the arachnid's face, making it even angrier. After the Seeds had seemed as effective as distractions go, Link holstered his Slingshot and then, with both his hands, he put his Deku Wood Shield in front of himself. And so, one of Gohma's long, furry legs came down upon him, his Shield raised high at the impressive attack, and Link blocked it with great burden in his arms. The attack did not damage him, but it did toss him backwards into the ground, and sent his Shield flying from his hands.

And then, in the nick of time, in flew Navi, leaving the Nut she was carrying on the floor between Link and the imposing creature that was Gohma, and in the same fell swoop, grabbing Link's Shield from the ground.

"Link! Cover your eyes!" The Fairy bellowed flying high up in the air, and then bringing the Shield down on the Nut with all her might.

Link closed his eyes and covered his ears just in time, for as soon as the Nut cracked open, there was a huge flash of blinding, white light, and a horrible shriek from Gohma that tore through the darkness of the room, and the general silence of the night like a knife.

Link opened his eyes to see a blinded Gohma, lying on the ground, stunned and vulnerable, and, removing his hands from his ears, he took his mighty Blade in hand, grabbed his Shield with the right, and jumped up one of Gohma's legs, supporting himself in one of the pillars as he went, as if it was yet another tree he would climb.

And there, on the back of that mighty foe, that Spider Queen of Dread he had so feared in Legends past, Link saw the huge yellow eye, staring back at him for the last time, as Link shouted with all his might, as he brought the Kokiri Blade down on it with the wrath of an army.

Gohma's final shriek of pain was, without a doubt, the most horrid thing Link had heard in his entire life.

Link jumped from the body of the once mighty beast, running to rejoin his guardian Fairy, as the dead body of the armored arachnid became engulfed in blue and purple flames, and disappeared.

"You alright?" Asked Link, as Navi spread her wings and flew to his side.

"Yes." She replied, recovering from the effects of the Nut "Yes, I'm fine, You?"

"I've been better, but I can't complain." Link responded, spinning his Blade in his hand and sheathing it with a level of style only heard of in fantastic stories.

"That just happened." Navi stated, shocked by their triumph over the mighty beast "That actually just happened."

"We just killed Queen Gohma."

And at this the two looked at each other, their faces full of joy, unable to hide their enormous smiles and burst into laughter.

"By the way, nice trick with the Nut back there Navi." Said Link, unable to control his excitement "Really clever of you."

"Why thank you, Link." She replied "And, if I may, the way you just stood your ground with the Shield was truly amazing."

But before they could complement each other any longer, there was a big flash of light from the spot where Gohma had died, and a small, blue circle of light that shone from the ground appeared in the spot where the beast had been slayed.

Link and Navi stood their ground against whatever might happen, believing it to be a last resort from Gohma in case of its death, until they heard a voice call out to them from the light.

"Link, Navi." Came the voice of the Great Deku Tree "Thy have done well, for my pain is no more. Now return through this portal, for I have one last thing to ask of you, now that you've proven your worth."

"Yes, Forest Father." Responded the duo, and after taking a final look at the cavernous battleground, Link and Navi stepped into the light…


	6. Farewell' We Call

'_Farewell' We Call_

Link and Navi did nothing but step into the blue light, and suddenly, as if by magic, they were back on the hillside in front of the Great Deku Tree.

It was nighttime no more, and the sun was up in the sky, and the birds were singing, as if celebrating Gohma's defeat.

"Thou hast made it." Said the Forest Father "I am glad to see you safe."

"And we are glad to have been able to help, Forest Father." Came Link, standing proud at his and Navi's accomplishment.

"But, Forest Father." said Navi, a curious wondering in her voice "What was that other something you wanted us to know?"

"That, segment of my knowledge requires some explanation beforehand." The Great One continued, its voice more harsh and cold "Will you listen?"

"Yes, Great Deku Tree." Link assured, his mind eager to learn of the Great One's request "We'll listen."

"Then here, my tale begins." Responded the Forest Father and, with a clearing of his invisible throat, began to explain:

"**Before time began; before spirits and life existed... Three Goddesses descended upon the chaos that was Knaveth. Din, Goddess of Power, Nayru, Goddess of Wisdom and Farore, Goddess of Courage. Din, with her strong flaming arms, cultivated the land and created the red Earth; Nayru poured her Wisdom onto the Earth, creating the Skies, and giving the spirit of Law to the World; and Farore, with her rich soul, produced all life forms who would uphold said Law. And so, the Three Goddesses, their labors completed, departed for the Heavens. And three golden, Sacred Triangles remained at the point where the Goddesses left the world. Since then, the three Sacred Triangles have become the basis of our world's providence, and the place where they rest since then has become the Sacred Realm."**

As the Great Deku Tree finished telling the _'Legend of the Creation'_ Link and Navi, bewildered as they were, couldn't find the importance that said Legend would have on their coming assignment.

"The Sacred Triangles, in unison, are called the Triforce, which the 'King of Thieves' is searching for." The Forest Father kept on "Your task is to _never_ allow this Evil man, who desired this world-bending Power so much, that he cast a Death Curse on me, or anyone of Evil intentions, to get his hands on the Triforce. For if he, or they, do, there awaits only darkness and suffering to the inhabitants of Hyrule."

"But, Great Deku Tree," Navi started, unable to find a way to complete such an enormous task "What can we do to prevent this?"

As Navi awaited the Tree's response, Link's face went pale and stern, having noticed something that made his heart turn cold.

"Navi," Link whimpered, hoping with all his might he could be able to break the news to his friend "He said 'Death Curse'."

"Yes, he did. But we killed Gohma, Link. He's fine now." Navi replied, an explaining tone to her unsuspecting voice "You're fine now, aren't you?"

And at this, the Tree remained silent.

"Navi, I may not be an expert in Spell casting, but even _I_ know what that means." He said, watching Navi put her tiny hands in her mouth, horrified by the realization. "You lied to us, didn't you?" Link continued, confronting the Great One about its immediate destiny "You knew there was no way we could save you, no matter _how_ hard we tried. You were doomed from the start."

"Courageous and clever." Said the Tree, a sense of pride in his old and weary tone "Now I know for sure I chose wisely. You are correct. Because of the 'King of Thieves' curse, my End is nigh. But I hope you take comfort in knowing that your victory over Gohma eased my pain before the end."

"Then, if your end is nigh Old Trunk," Said Link, finally referring to the Great One as the fatherly figure he had always considered him "Tell us how to carry out your will."

"Very well, young man." The Tree responded, its tone now rusty and harsh, it's End apparent "Not far to the West, there lies the kingdom of Hyrule, and on its castle, lives the Princes of Fate. Find her, and show her this Stone. This Stone, which that wicked man desired so much, that he cursed me so: The Spiritual Stone of the Forest: The Kokiri Emerald."

There was a glow of blinding green light above Link and Navi's heads, and from the light appeared a stone with a glow so unnatural and beautiful, that it appeared to be made out of light itself. Link held the green ornament in his hand as if it were the most prized treasure in the whole of Knaveth, its golden trim shaped as the Kokiri symbol, its unearthly glow mesmerizing.

"The future of Hyrule depends upon you, brave Link and wise Navi. Link, I have taught her all she knows, so her knowledge is vast, so whenever Navi warns you of any matter, listen to her words of wisdom. And Navi, whenever your might alone cannot accomplish a task, remember you have Link by your side. Guide him Navi, and protect him with all your strength. The future is up to you, my children. Farewell."

And with that, the Great Deku Tree's leaves withered and fell, turning the top of the now petrified trunk grey as winter's dawn. Its features lost color, and its wood became dark, its huge mouth remaining open forevermore as the Forest Father went to sleep for the last time.

And then, the Woods went silent.

"Good-bye, Forest Father." Mourned Link, burying his Blade in the ground and kneeling beside it, a sadness in his soul he had never felt before "May you watch over us, your eternal children, and protect us from the Evil that has been cast upon our World"

And as he rose from the ground, he saw Navi, weeping the loss of the one she called father, her eyes full of tears, her soul twisted with anger.

And so the duo departed, to the land of Hyrule, where the Princess of Fate awaited them.

"Farewell, Great Deku Tree." Wept Navi, turning to see the dead trunk one last time before leaving her home.

Link and Navi, entered the clearing where the homes and huts lied, after returning in an uneventful trip back through the Forest Path.

All the Kokiri children were gathered in the middle, of the clearing, their eyes looking straight at the grey, dead leaves of the Great Deku Tree, when they saw Link and Navi coming home.

"What happened?!" Started the insufferable voice of Mido, stunned in rage as Link came through "What the _HELL HAPPENED?!__"_

Link walked up to the staircase of his house, his eyes still red from the tears that had rolled down his cheek on the way back, and after climbing to his balcony, turned to the grieving crowd with the deepest of regrets.

"My Brothers and Sisters." He began, praying for this nightmare to end "It is with none but the deepest of pains that I tell you today that the Great Deku Tree has passed away."

He's heart sank to the deepest pit of Hell as he saw the faces of his brethren. He knew they would demand answers of him as well. But what would he tell them? Would they believe him if he told them the truth?

All these questions swirling in his mind when in came another voice.

"How did it happen?" Came Gina's voice from below the balcony "How did he die, Link?

_Ah, to Hell with it…_

"There came a man to the Kokiri Forest. This man, according to the Forest Father, went by the pseudonym of 'King of Thieves'. This 'King of Thieves' cursed the Great Deku Tree, infecting him with a creature of the most evil nature. He called upon me and Navi to help him. To rid him of his curse."

And here, between words, Link though about the most atrocious, hideous thing he could say, and believed, that even if they hated him for it, they deserved to know their protector had been a brave (so to call it) man to its very end.

"He called upon my help" Said he, his mind racing, looking for a way out of the nightmare he found himself into "and I _failed_. I failed to keep him alive. I failed to save him, no matter how hard I tried. I let him down. I let you down, and for that, I deserve no forgiveness. But I swear on my life that I will carry out the Forest Father's dying wish. I swear I will find the 'King of Thieves'. And I swear on my name as a Kokiri that I will kill him myself!"

Navi could not believe her ears, listening to her friend. And then, she understood what Link was doing. The Kokiri, though knowing of the 'King of Thieves', would not accept that only one man was able to rid them of their protector. And so Link had thrown himself into the metaphorical fire, to take a part of the blame. (Navi still doesn't admit it to this day, but that decision made her feel extremely proud to be Link's Fairy.).

Link climbed down from the balcony of his house, and made for the exit of the Forest, finally ready to face that condition he loathed with all his might.

"Then you are Kokiri no longer." Came Mido's voice from the crowd, pointing an accusing finger at Link and Navi "Hell, you couldn't even save the Forest Father! And who's to say you're even telling the truth? For all we know, you might even have killed him _yourself!"_

And there it was, the opening Link had waited for his whole life.

Fast like thunder and in one swift move, Link turned around, thirteen years of captured rage boiling on his fist, and he punched Mido square in the nose, sending him flying through the air a few meters, into a small pond over whose stones the Twins used to go jumping on ever so eagerly.

"I did not kill him!" Link bellowed, watching Mido stand up, muttering "You'll never be one of us" to himself, with a bleeding nose and a wet tunic "And for the record: If I have to give a damn about all the _crap_ you say Mido, if I have to listen to your taunts and your mockery in order to be a part of this family, then you're finally right: _I am Kokiri no longer!"_

And with that, Link sped off to the Forests exit, hearing Navi slightly mutter the phrase "'Good Riddance to Old Garbage'" to herself, when he was stopped by yet another voice. This time, it was Jack's.

"Where are you going, Link?" He came, completely ignoring the bleeding Mido behind him.

"I'm going to get some payback on the man who did this." He responded, the rage of a thousand men twice his age in his tone.

"But you can't leave! All Kokiri who leave the Forest will die!"

And that, dearest reader, was the condition I mentioned before. See, the Great Deku Tree had always been very wise, but no matter how much he told his children of the outside world, he also always told them that leaving the Forest would result in their deaths.

But he had to leave. For it had been the Deku Tree's final wish that he may find this 'Princess of Fate'. And, guilty for not being able to save his only fatherly figure, he felt it his sworn duty to carry out this errand.

And so, Link and Navi went off, away from the Lost Woods, the only place they had ever known as home.

They were almost out of the Woods when they stumbled upon a hanging drawbridge that hung from the borders of the Forest to the lands beyond, with a huge, hollow trunk serving as a tunnel through the cliff wall that was the borderline.

He was halfway across the bridge when he heard her.

"So," Came Saria's voice from behind him, her gentle, unsuspecting tone indicating incoming heartbreak in Link's ears "You're leaving, aren't you?"

"Saria, I-"

"It's alright." She cut him off, her deep, blue eyes sinking deeply into his "Somehow, I knew you were going to leave the Forest at some point. But that's alright, because you'll always be my little brother, eh?"

Link couldn't take it anymore, and could feel his eyes swirling with tears as Saria threw her arms around him.

"That's right." He said, his lips trembling and his mouth dry as the Great Desert "I'll always be your little brother, Saria."

"Then I want you to take this with you." She said, taking from her dress' pocket (because apparently dresses have pockets in Knaveth) something that Link had seen many times in his life, but whose burden he could never hope to carry: Her Fairy Ocarina.

"Saria, I can't take this." He said, looking at the instrument with the most caring of looks "You love it."

"Maybe, but you're my little brother, and if you're going off into the blue, then its better if you take it, to remember me by." She said, handing the Ocarina over to Link.

'_As if I could ever forget you, Saria.'_ Link thought, taking the smooth surface of the Ocarina in his hands.

"Okay," He said "I'll take it."

"Ok. But before you go, I would like you to play something for me. You know the one, that cute little jingle everyone hears me play."

"'_Saria's Song'?"_

"Hylia, are they really calling it that?"

Link nodded, and taking a deep breath, started playing a tune.

"Farewell to you as well, Navi." Said Mihael, who had been casually hovering about unnoticed "I hope you come back to visit someday."

"Oh, we will, Mihael" She said, finally taking a good look at her fellow guardian Fairy. He was wearing a red jacket-like top with a pair of green pants, and a pair of dark-brown boots, and on his face was a pair of round, clear, brown eyes, and long, curly, blond hair on his head "We most certainly will."

Finally finishing the song, Link beckoned Navi onwards, and after taking one last, long look at his Big Sister, went forwards into the log-tunnel at the end of the bridge, and coming out on what looked like an enclosed space between two walls of stone, with a big tree at the end of the passage forwards, overlooking the entrance to the Forest, and the exit onto the vast and beautiful landscape that was Hyrule fields.

Taking out the compass he had been given by Saria prior to seeing the Great Deku Tree, Link started heading due West, as the Forest Father had instructed.

He climbed a small hill and was marveled at how amazingly huge the fields were in whole, it's beautiful, green meadows and prairies a delight to his eyes. He also realized how long it would take for them to get to their destination.

"It's about a whole day's walk from where I'm flying." Said Navi, who had flown up in the sky to see what she could see, and noticing the huge towers and banners of the Hylians far off in the distance "But there is an establishment about half across the way. Looks like a farm. Might be worth spending the night there."

It was sundown already and Link didn't have much energy left. So instead of trotting all the way to Hyrule Castle town and getting there in the morning, he opted for the logical option, of going to the farm to rest for the night.

And so, with Navi flying by his side, the Adventure of Link finally began, as the duo eagerly climbed down from the hillside, and ran off into the unknown…


	7. The Fairy Boy and the Ranch Girl

_The Fairy Boy and the Ranch Girl_

Link and Navi made their way through the hills and crevices of the Hyrule Fields, the sun hiding in the horizon, and Link's feet growing wearier and wearier with every step he took.

Link was still trying to figure out how to get to the castle once they reached the city, and into it, and how to find the Princess inside it once they got there, when he realized that, in the hours he had been walking, the sun had gone down, and the moon was starting to shine above their heads.

Navi's light had started to grow dim and, to Link, it felt as if with every step he took, he was stepping barefoot in chunks of coal.

"Need a break?" Link asked, sleep beginning to take over "Your light's fading."

"I'm fine." She replied between yawns, her wings flapping slowly "It's just that I expected to be there by now."

"Well, at least were _almost_ there." Link continued, his eyes growing weary "We've been walking the whole evening and if my feet don't rest soon, chances are they'll fall off my ankles."

This kept on for a few minutes, until they finally, somewhere around midnight, they came to the walls of the ranch.

By walls, I mean stone walls. Quite a queer place the farm was located in: It was literally a stone circle with an opening from where you could enter the ranch.

They were so tired that they didn't hear the claws digging in the ground, far off in the distance.

As Link and Navi tiredly came into the opening, the first thing they saw was the large horse pen in the back of the now-apparent ranch, with a tower that the duo supposed was for storage of supplies to its right. Closer to the entrance, to the right, there were the stables, the place they were settled inside of bearing the appearance of a wooden hut, and to the left, a big, tall house painted in cream-colored walls, with a white and red trim at the edges of the walls.

A sign hang between the stables and the house a few meters forwards, reading _'Welcome to Lon Lon Ranch.'_

Finally finding somewhere to rest, Link knocked on the wooden door of the tall, cream-colored house and was received a few seconds later by a tall man in blue overalls, with a red undershirt. The man had a bushy, dark-brown beard and a tiny ponytail on the back of his head (which was pretty much all the hair he had.). He wore a gold emblem on his shirt over his hairy chest, its figure resembling a fearsome creature from times of old, and a pair of big brown boots. He also had a _huge_ nose.

"Oh?" The man said, perplexed at the unusual visitors he was having at that hour of the night "And who might you two be?"

"Terribly sorry to disturb you, sire. My name is Link, and this is my friend Navi." Our hero began, his voice weary and tired "My companion and I… We've been walking for hours and we needed a place to stay for the night. I'm sorry to ask this of you, but would it be too much to ask that you could provide a room for us?"

The man looked at the pair with the warmest of smiles and, opening the wooden door wider behind him, as if expecting someone, gladly greeted the pair.

"I'm sorry to say I don't have much room left in this old house. But maybe, if you like, you could sleep in the storage tower?" Said the man, scratching his head in embarassment.

"If it has a soft, bed-like surface we can rest our weary feet and wings over, we'll take it." Responded Link, noticing Navi was starting to hover lower and lower "Thank you for the kindness, mister?"

"Talon. My name is Talon." The man said, brandishing a large, proud grin on his face (I know, I know _'__**Talon**__? __**Really**__?' _.Well what did you want me to call him, _'__**Mario**__'?)_ "But I'm just too weary and tired myself at this time of the night, (from all the working on the animals, as I'm sure you'll understand) so I'm terribly sorry, but I can't really help you with the accommodating of the attic for you to sleep tonight."

"It's okay father." Came a girl's voice from inside the house "I can help them with the hay bales."

As a little girl was heard climbing down a set of stairs, Talon looked back and held out his arm to receive his child.

"Ah, Malon!" He exclaimed, the girl coming into his broad hairy arms "Mister Link, Miss Navi, allow me to introduce my beautiful daughter Malon."

And the man wasn't wrong, for Link's heart, weary as it was, seemed to skip a beat when Malon came into scene.

Talon's daughter had long, vibrant hair that was red as fire, and a pair of big, sky blue eyes. She was wearing a pink nightgown at the time, with a purple trim, and a pair of white slippers over her feet.

Malon herself gapped in awe as she witnessed the two strangers.

"Wait just one second!" She said, taking a step closer to the duo "You're one of _them!" _

"'_One of them?'" _Navi asked, till tired as Hell "Not sure I follow little Miss."

"You know, one of _them: _The Kiko-" And then she trailed off, scratching her head "No, wait that's not right. Was it the Ka- no, no, no that's not right either. Oh, _think Malon, think!"_

"The _Kokiri?"_ Said Link, a polite smile on his face.

"_That's_ the one! _Kokiri!"_ She replied, her deep blue eyes sinking into the duo like knives to a cake (even though the cake is a lie) "You're one of the _'Fairy Boys'_ from the Forest to the East!"

(_Yes_, I am conscious that sounds like a boy band, but it's not _my_ fault Nintendo gave the guy that nickname. Also, please don't ask about how the family knew of the Kokiri. Apparently it's some kind of story or myth that was passed down in Hyrule.).

"Please." Our green-clad protagonist started "Just call me Link. And this over here is Navi."

"Pleased to make your acquaintance." Navi said, politely as she could, through her weary and tired self.

"As am I, Miss Fairy." The girl responded, chuckling a little "I am Malon Romani, and the pleasure is all mine."

After wrapping a warm, long, purple scarf around her neck, and taking a purple blanket from the second floor of the house, Malon led Link and Navi around the horse pen, and into the storage tower. They climbed the wooden staircases inside the stone building, opening a big trapdoor atop it, and, on the second floor, met with a small, yet cozy attic on which they found the bales of hay half-piled at the far end, and to their left, saw a large gap in the wall, framed with wooden beams as if to make it seem like a painting, acting like a window.

"Sorry it's probably not as big as it should be, but it's what we can offer." Malon said, her hands trembling from the chill of the night, finishing the piling of the hay bales, and putting the blanket beside them "Is it okay?"

"Miss, I used to sleep in a hollow tree." Started Link, making a solemn bow to his host "I think after that, basically anything is okay. Thank you for the kindness, Miss Malon."

"Very well." She replied, bowing back to her newfound friend and taking her red hair from across her face "But if you need anything, Fairy Boy, we're right after the horse pen. Oh, and I'm sure my father wouldn't mind if you stayed for breakfast in the morning."

"You're too kind. We'll keep that in mind, thank you." He replied, Leaving his Sword and Shield besides the hay bale "Good night, Miss Romani."

"Good night to you too, Fairy Boy." She said as she disappeared down the stairs "And good night to you too, Miss Navi."

"Good night, Malon." Navi answered, sitting eagerly on the hay bales and folding her wings "Thanks again and sweet dreams."

And after a nod, Malon was gone.

"So, what was _that?" _Navi started, the second Malon had shut the trapdoor.

"What was what?" Link asked, leaving his Slingshot, Nut Bag and Seed Pouch on a small stump beside the hay bales.

"You know, _that." _Navi said, her tiny hands resting on her hips "With the bowing and everything?"

"What, that?" Link continued, collapsing over the hay bales next to Navi "It's called being polite, Navi. I thought you might know about it."

"Oh, _come on."_ She said, an evil grin forming on her face "We both know that wasn't _just_ being polite."

"Oh, rubbish." He replied, knowing where the conversation was going, and taking off his boots.

"I'm just stating that it may be a bad idea. I mean, she seems nice and all, but we _have_ just gotten out of the Forest and-"

"And _I'm_ stating I'm tired and I need some sleep." He cut her off, putting the purple blanket around himself.

"Alright, alright" Navi said, getting in the Nut Bag beside the Sword and Shield "Sheesh, don't get so edgy."

"Yeah, yeah." He replied, his tone indifferent to her comments "Good night, Navi."

"Good night to you too." She said, a slight laughter coming from her sleepy lips "_'Fairy Boy'."_

And with that, they fell asleep.


	8. Rumbling in the Ranch

_Rumbling in the Ranch_

Link and Navi had just woken up from their slumber and, after Link put his equipment back on top of himself, they climbed down the tower and went to meet the Romanis for breakfast.

They circled around the horse pen, taking a good, long look at the horses that were happily galloping inside.

Link had never seen a horse before, though he had heard of them in Saria's stories, and the fact that he had had a chance to encounter one of those mythical creatures made him feel more like an adventurer already.

The duo knocked on the wooden door once more, finally noticing the beauty of the ranch they had spent the night on, when, after a few seconds, they were welcomed by Malon, who was now wearing a cream-colored dress (with a blue trim in the shape of strange runes) that went down to her ankles, and a pair of brown boots. Her scarf was now yellow, and over its knot was a pin exactly like the one her father had been wearing last night.

"Good morning, Miss Romani." Started Link, his sleepy face instantly turning into a grin "Hope you slept well."

"Morning to you too, Fairy Boy." She called out, reminding Navi of the nickname she, even in later years, would never let Link forget "You too, Miss Fairy. I _did_ sleep well, thank you. I take it your stay here was a pleasant one?"

"If not _the_ most pleasant thing that's happened to us _thus_ far." Continued Navi, her sleek, black hair, pushed back from her shoulders "We really can't thank you enough."

"There's no need to thank us, really." She replied, blushing slightly and letting out a laugh "But, that reminds me: Did you consider joining us for breakfast? We have scrambled Cucco eggs ready, and they're more that we can eat."

"'_Cucco Eggs?'"_ Asked Link, widening his grin on his face, and oblivious to food outside forest berries and the like "Well, you _did_ let us sleep on your property, so who are we to say 'no' to such a kind offer, eh Navi?"

Navi nodded and Malon, being enthusiastic as she was, called her father and the duo to the table.

The house was bigger than they had anticipated. It had a Cucco pen directly in front of the entrance, with a few Cuccos playing inside, or running wildly from one corner of the pen to another.

Link, was quite amused by the feathered creatures, and wondered if it would be a good idea to keep one as a pet.

(Before you ask, reader, a Cucco is literally a chicken with a rooster's dewlap and 'crown'.).

To the right of the entrance, there was a staircase that led to the second floor of the house.

They climbed the staircase as Malon called her father to the small, round table that was set in the dining room.

The second floor of the house felt a lot more homely than the rest of the ranch. The walls were white in color and there were two wooden doors leading to the rooms of the Romanis, and a small round table on the dining room to the right from the staircase, accompanied by a couple of windows. The kitchen was more to the far end of the second floor, behind a door that Link, to this day, hasn't gotten into.

The Romanis and Link were sitting on the table, and Navi was sitting on Link's shoulder. The Cucco eggs were the tastiest thing Link and Navi had tasted in their lives, to say nothing of the milk, which was the best in Hyrule.

"So," Talon asked, wiping his mouth with his napkin "Would you mind, young sir, to tell us what drove you to spend the night in our ranch?"

"Well," Link started, taking a fleeting look at Navi, her face confirming his thought. They couldn't know what Link and Navi wanted in Hyrule, for friendly that they seemed, they couldn't trust anyone yet "We were going to Hyrule's castle-town to run an errand for an old acquaintance of ours back in the Forest. Family matters, if you will."

"Hyrule's castle-town?" Malon exclaimed, her blue eyes widening "Don't we have a delivery to make there later on today, father?"

"Indeed we do, my dear." Talon replied, giving the children a smile "And I don't think it a bad idea to give Link and Navi here a ride."

"_Really?!" _Navi started, unable to believe their luck "Oh, _thank you, thank you so, so much!_ You have no idea the _nightmare_ it would be to walk all the way over there."

"How would _you_ know?" Link started, a cocky smile forming on his face "_You_ don't have to walk there, and if you _do_ get tired you just hop into my pocket or sit on my shoulder! _I'm_ the one doing the hard labor!"

The house was filled with laughter that instant, and it went on for quite a few minutes, until Malon remembered something that had been bothering her since the moment she woke up.

"Speaking of labor," The girl said, taking a bite off the scrambled eggs "Where's mister Ingo, dad?"

"Oh, he's on his room, back down in the stables." Said Talon, scratching his head "He stayed up till late, the poor guy, so he's probably sleeping."

_Stables, down, late._ These words were floating around in Malon's head, when she remembered what she had forgotten.

"_Seven Hells!"_ She stormed, standing from around the table and running down the stairs "I haven't fed her yet!"

The remaining three could hear the door close on the first floor of the house, followed by Malon's trotting over on the green grass, on the direction of the horse pen.

"What was _that_ all about?" Asked Link, before being interrupted by a shriek that tore the mood apart, and filled the trio with dread.

"MALON!" Talon shouted, recognizing his daughter's screaming, and speeding of into the second door from the staircase, with Link and Navi following behind him.

Link and Navi didn't have time to inspect Malon's room as they followed Talon to the large window behind her bed.

As the three looked down from the window, their hearts seemed to stop, the fear in their eyes impossible to miss, for down below, almost exactly below the window, near the entrance to the ranch there was a fat, humanoid creature, bearing the snout of a pig and the ears of a hound. It had orange skin and rags covering most of its body, a big meat cleaver-looking weapon in its right hand, and the most vicious and malicious pair of eyes.

Farther down the ranch, there was Malon, running for her life inside the horse pen with a pitchfork in her hands, the animals running wildly inside, for there was a creature at the gates of the pen that caused all in the ranch to sink into despair. It was a skinless creature with a couple of tattered pieces of armor in its legs and waist, the rest of it only bones and a pair of bright, yellow eyes, with a rusty, broken sword at his left hand and a couple of large, broken nails at it's right.

"That's a Bokoblin!" Warned Navi, looking at the first creature "You should be able to beat it relatively easy, but with Malon 'in the fire' here…"

"What about the other one?" Link asked, his concern for Malon's life only rivaled by that of the girl's father.

"That's a Stalchild. Really nothing to worry about if you manage to dodge the sword."

"Very well, then." Said Link, running back to the tableside to pick up his Sword and Shield "Talon! Navi! Step away from the window!"

Link broke into a run, his two hands on the Kokiri Sword's hilt, as he jumped over Malon's bed and out the window, and brought the mighty Blade down on the Bokoblin's back.

The creature squealed in pain as Link twisted the Blade in its surprisingly-resistant back. In the end, Link was eventually shoved off by the creature, and barely managed to dodge a pair of blows from the oversized meat cleaver, giving him the opening he craved. Link sliced the creature's side, drawing a line of dark-red blood, and then thrusting his blade through the Bokoblin's bare, fat chest.

As the Bokoblin bled to death, Link's attention went straight for the Stalchild, who was meters away from Malon. Link knew he wasn't going to get to his foe before Malon suffered the consequences, so in his desperation he decided to try a risky move. He took his trusty Slingshot from his belt, and taking aim like no other before him, he managed to launch the only Deku Seed he had kept after the battle with Gohma straight at the Stalchild's neck.

The creature turned around, inches away from Malon when Link's final shot made contact, and it charged at the kid who dared defile it, broken sword drawn, as Link himself rushed to meet it in battle, Sword and Shield at the ready.

But before Link could clash with his foe, Malon's pitchfork came rushing through its empty ribcage, making the creature, if not sear in pain, at least hurt and lose its composure, giving Link enough time to jump in the air, and bring the Kokiri Blade down on the creature, who quickly moved to the side and countered with such strength that Link's Sword was thrown from his hands, and his wooden Shield was torn to pieces.

Realizing he would not be able to retake his weapon, and that his only defensive method was out of action, Link opted for a more desperate and rash option: Hand-to-Hand Combat.

"You break my Shield," Link threatened his foe as he punched and kicked fast as he could against its bones with an agility to rival a squirrel's, every attack feeling rash and hard on his knuckles "You attack my friends, and you think, Hell, you _dare_ believe I will do _nothing?!_ _I__ AM LINK!_ _Slayer of Gomah! Son of the Lost Woods! And Messenger of the Great Deku Tree! __HEAR MY NAME AND TREMBLE__!"_

At this point, Link managed to hit the Stalchild square in the face, which resulted in its jaw dislocating to the side, its broken sword falling from its hands, which Link kicked away fiercely. The creature gave the worn-out Link a mean look as it grabbed its chin and head, and snapped its jaw back together, and (after a couple of blows) grabbing Link in its cold, undead hands, crushing him into the borders of consciousness and letting out a scream so terrifying and void of life, Link thought his end was actually at hand…

Until he reached his Nut Pouch.

With all his might, Link managed to slip his left arm from the Stalchild's grasp, holding a cracked Deku Nut high above their heads. _"Hylia, have mercy."_ Link thought, his immediate plan being possibly the worst idea he had had the displeasure of carrying through. "MALON! COVER YOUR EYES!" He shouted as he thrust the Deku Nut straight into the Stalchild's mouth, cracking it open and blowing his foe's head off, finishing it for good.

The explosion had come with a cost, though, as Link was sent flying through the air, landing next to his shattered Shield and hearing a horrible screeching noise in his long pointy ears. Blinded by the Nut's effect, Link couldn't make anything out of anything as he was lying on the grass, until he heard Malon's voice, followed by Navi's, calling out to him.

"Are you okay?" Malon asked, bending over Link's unmoving body, soon to be accompanied by Navi "Can you hear me?"

"Yes, I hear you." Link replied, color returning to his blue eyes, and a victorious grin on his face "Are _you_ okay? Nice job with the pitchfork, by the way."

Malon nodded, a feeling of unending gratitude and pride in her eyes.

"Good," Link finished, his body beginning to tire "But I think we better call it a day."

And then, victorious once more, he passed out.


	9. Lon Lon Labors

_Lon Lon Labors_

Link woke up in a bed he recognized as the one had jumped over onto the Bokoblin's back in his attempt to save Malon, a purple blanket over his body, and his trusty Sword beside him.

On his side there was a wooden nightstand where his Slingshot and Pouches rested, with a lamp on top, and a cover of white silk. The walls of the room where also white, and they had a beige and red trim running along their middle, with a couple of drawers to the front of the bed and to the left.

"Thank Hylia, You're awake!" Came Navi, who was sitting on the edge of the nightstand, worried sick about her friend "You took quite a beating down there."

"Glad to see you too, Navi." Said Link, taking his belt from the nightstand behind Navi and strapping it over his tunic below the sheets "No more of them came right?"

"No, that was it." She replied, smiling slightly, the joy of seeing her friend awake a relief in her heart "And Malon's alright, before you ask."

"I'm glad." He said, blowing out some air in relief.

"Hey, Link?" Navi continued "That was very brave, what you did. Blinding yourself to save Malon."

"More desperate than brave, from where _I'm_ lying." Link kept on, starting to sit up straight "But at least she's safe now."

"It's not all about _her,_ you know? _You_ were quite injured as well."

"Yeah well, small price to pay for a life now, isn't it? Well, that _and_ the Shield…"

"Mayhaps." Navi replied, still amazed at her boy's actions "But mayhaps you should have been more careful. You could have _died,_ Link."

"I know." He said, taking off from the bed and strapping on his boots, which were coupled on the side of the bed "Sorry I worried you."

"It's alright." She said, finally starting to get used to the dangers they kept facing.

"Hey, Navi?" Link said, standing up and shaking his legs, as if to wake them from slumber "How do you reckon they got here?"

Navi put her arm on her shoulder like Link had seen her do before, her face, one of embarrassment and guilt.

"Well, Stalchildren _hate_ the sunlight, so _my_ guess is it followed _us_ while we were coming here. And Bokoblins have a thing for bones so I guess it just followed the Stalchild here."

(If you're still wondering, reader, that _was_ indeed the digging from two chapters back.).

"So, nothing would have happened if we hadn't stopped here?"

"Guess not."

"Well, ain't _that_ a bitch." Link continued, the thought of Malon running for her life into the horse pen being their fault pounding his heart like a hammer "Well, at least no one got hurt."

"Yeah, none but you. Suppose that's a bright side." She said, looking at her friend with the sweetest of expressions, as if to ease the pain of her words "Hey, about what happened in the pen, you know, the whole _'Hear my name and tremble!'_ thing?"

"Oh, that." He continued, his face turning red and his mouth sprouting a smile "Well, there _was_ a damsel in distress and all, and I _was_ getting my ass handed to me, so I thought I'd try to scare the creature rather than prolong the situation. Though, admittedly I _did_ want to show off a bit as well."

"Could have fooled _me_." Came another voice from the door, a glass of milk and a dish of scrambled eggs in Malon's delicate hands "How are you, Fairy Boy?"

"Right as rain in no time flat, Miss Romani." Link replied, grabbing the hilt of the Kokiri Blade and taking it from its sheath, passing his fingers through the silver edge of the ancient weapon.

"Glad to hear it." She replied, putting the glass and dish on the nightstand next to Navi, and kind of embarrassed about what she was about to ask "Navi? Could you leave us alone for a moment?"

Link almost dropped the Sword when he heard this, and Navi's face (since there is no other word to describe it) was simply priceless.

"Sure." She said, taking flight and heading for the door, a large smile on her face "I'll be just outside."

When Navi had closed the door behind her, Malon sat next to Link on the bedside, staring at her boots until she finally decided to speak.

"Sorry if this freaks you out." She said, her thumbs swirling one over the other "But I wanted to thank you properly."

"No thanks needed." Link said, sheathing his Blade, his heart racing "I did what I had to do. (Though I _am_ going to miss the Shield.)."

"I know you did, Fairy Boy. But I want you to know that I'm eternally grateful to you, and that should you ever need a place to stay, we're here for you."

Link felt Malon's hand on his shoulder as she said this, her warm, soft fingertips on his cheek, and couldn't help but think that that was a moment he would like to live on.

'_If only I could grow like you, Malon'_ He thought, sinking his eyes in hers '_If only I could.'_

"Anyway, that's pretty much all I wanted to say." Malon said as she rose from the bedside, her face red as the sunset.

"And you have no idea how much it means to me, Malon." Link replied, feeling at home for the first time since he came out of the Great Deku Tree.

"Glad to be of service." She continued bowing in joke to her friend "And Fairy Boy?"

"Yes?"

"Thanks for saving me." She finished, planting a sweet, little kiss on Link's cheek, and smiling with the warmest of faces.

Malon left the room, her face still red, and beckoned Navi to go inside if she liked, which she immediately did, chuckling like there was no tomorrow.

"Nice one, _'Fairy Boy'_." Navi said, mockingly "Not a week out of the Forest and you've _already_ got a pretty girl standing in line."

"Shut up, Navi." Link answered, scratching his head, and unable to hide his grin.

"Hey, I'm just screwing with you." She said, happy to see her friend smile "But seriously now, you better eat up quick. The Cuccos are getting feisty and it seems mister Talon is going to need a little help getting them back in their pen."

"Very well." Link replied, taking the first bite off the Cucco eggs, after being done with the milk in one go "Tell him I'll go help him when I'm done."

A breakfast later, Link went down to the Cucco pen to help mister Romani with the rampaging animals, which he soon found out were quite fast and annoying to catch. He also found them to be _extremely_ violent if provoked. (To this day he still has scars all over his body, constantly reminding him that Cuccos have sharp claws on the back of their talons and pretty hard beaks.).

After, catching the last of the Cuccos, Link finally managed to take a break from the whole Cucco-grabbing, and sat on the edge of a box in front of the window, next to mister Talon, who was also exhausted as Hell.

"Say, Link?" The man began, taking a sip from his bottle of milk "You're quite the cowboy, aren't you?"

"Why thank you, sire." Link replied, wiping the sweat from his brow "But _Farore's Courage_ those things are _tough!"_

"Indeed they are, kid. But so are _you._" He continued, taking the bottle from his mouth and putting it to his side "You saved my daughter from those creatures yesterday and I can't thank you enough."

"Well, you _did_ give us shelter when _we_ needed it, so I guess _now_ you could call us even."

And then, Link realized something in Talon's sentence he hadn't asked Navi back in Malon's room.

"Mister Romani?" He said, taking a look outside the window to see the birds singing and the sun high and bright, and realizing Talon had used the word _'yesterday'_ in his line "How long was I unconscious?"

"The whole of yesterday I'm afraid." Talon said, noticing as Link's face grew more worried by the word "We've had you on that bed for a while now. We even had to postpone our milk delivery to treat your wounds. I'm telling you kid, you got lucky."

"I'm sorry to hear that, sir." Link said, facing downwards, his heart filled with regret "But for what it's worth, thank you."

"Don't mention it, kid." Talon said, looking at Link as if he was his own son "But there's something I have to ask."

"Which would be what, exactly?"

"Well, my daughter seems to have taken a liking to you, and you seem like you could protect her from peril, should it ever arise again, so…"

The man trailed off, deep in thought, a face both of concern and certainty only a father can have.

"So what, sir?" Link asked, oblivious to the man's incoming question.

"Link." Talon resumed, his face more serious than Link had seen it thus far "Would you like to marry Malon?"

Link's hands could be heard cracking the box open from the other side of the Kokiri Forest, as Link's mind raced, faster than the swiftest arrow.

And then, after a while of awkward silence, Link calmed down, his worried face now calm and with a large smile upon it.

"Ah, why not?" He said, reading the man like a book "She's kind of amazing if I'm honest, so I guess we could make it work."

"You're surely joking?" Talon said, breaking into laughter.

"No, _you_ are." Link replied, leaning back on the box and laughing his heart off "That's why I said 'yes'."

"Fair enough." The man said, starting to realize why his daughter liked the kid so much "But even still, you're both a little young for that, now aren't you? So maybe when you're older I'll ask again."

Link suddenly stopped laughing, the sudden realization a great burden in his mind.

"Sir, I'm from the Lost Woods." He said, looking out the window that was behind the box, staring at Navi and Malon, who were playing with the animals "We 'Forest Folk'… we can't grow up, sir."

"What do you mean you can't grow up?" Talon asked, his pointy ears wide open in intrigue.

"I mean, we Kokiri stay children forever." He said, Talon's face immediately turning into one of deepest pity "We don't age, so we don't have families aside from each other and our Fairies."

The house fell silent, the two staying still as the wind around them. Even the Cuccos had stopped bickering, as Link stood from the crate, and headed for the door.

"Eh, kid?" Talon's voice intervened, stopping Link on his tracks "Go have some fun with the gals while I help mister Ingo set up the wagon."

"Will do, sir." Link replied, grabbing the copper doorknob.

And with that, he stepped out of the house and headed for the horse pen, the unsettling conversation still ringing strong on his ears.

"Oh, there you are Fairy Boy!" Came Malon's cheery voice as he came closer to the pen's fence "How was the Cucco catching?"

"Quite painful, to be honest." Link answered, faking a smile "But we managed to catch em' all eventually." (Yep, I just did that.).

"Glad to hear it." She replied, remembering something she had wanted to do for a while "Oh! That's right! You don't know my friend yet, do you, Fairy Boy?"

And after saying that, she put her hands over her chest, as if forming a cross, and started humming a tune so lovely and calm, Link's troubles and worries seemed miles away.

And after a few seconds of this, a brown, white-trimmed filly with a white tail came galloping to Malon's side as fast as her legs would take her.

"Miss Navi, Fairy Boy, meet Epona." Malon said, scratching Epona's white trim with one hand and holding her face lifted with the other "She and I have been friends since we were young. Isn't she cute?"

Link couldn't feel anything but wonder at the creature, though he soon noticed this feeling wasn't mutual, for when he tried to come close to Epona, the young mare sped off to the side of the pen.

"She's like that towards strangers. She doesn't really feel safe around many people, you see." Malon explained, giving Link an idea.

"Malon?" Link asked, finding a way to befriend the filly "Could you hum that song again? A little slower if you please."

And before Malon started singing, Link took out Saria's Fairy Ocarina (please don't ask from where, because I don't know) and held it to his lips. He tried to follow every note on the tune Malon had been humming for a while, until he finally got it right and the filly came galloping back, this time launching herself into _Link's_ embrace rather than Malon's.

"Oh, Epona!" Malon exclaimed, noticing how odd it was for her four-legged friend to get so attached to someone in such a short amount of time "She's grown quite fond of you Fairy Boy!"

"Well, well." Said Navi, a mocking smile on her face "It seems you've got quite a way with the ladies, eh Link?"

"What can I say? I've got one of _those_ faces." Link replied, scratching the white trim on Epona's head, realizing what a truly amazing creature she was.

"You know?" Malon said, her hand also on Epona's head "I've never taught that song to anyone. Would it be okay if it stayed between us?"

"Why's that?" Asked Navi.

"Well, you saw how she reacted to the song, and I don't want her speeding off with just _anyone_."

"Fair enough." Link replied, taking a liking to the creature "_'Epona's Song'_ stays between us."

Link, Malon and Navi went on for a while and played with the animals, until they got to the cows that had their own pen at the side of the horses'. They were petting a white, blue-spotted cow Malon had named Elsie, when Malon remembered to ask the protagonist something that had been bothering her for days.

"Hey, Fairy Boy?" She began, looking at Link with a confused face "Why did my father say he couldn't help you with the hay bales in the tower when you first came here?"

"He said he was tired from all the working on the ranch." Link replied, wondering what had begged the question.

"_Work?!"_ She exclaimed "_My Dad?!_ Yeah, like I'm going to believe that. That Cucco catching you did with him? That's the _only_ thing he's going to do for the rest of the month! (Aside from _sleeping_ obviously.). "

"I couldn't have said that better myself, Miss Romani." Came a voice neither Link nor Navi had heard before from behind them "I swear _we're_ the only ones doing _any_ work in this place."

"Oh, Mister Ingo!" Malon said, finally revealing the man behind the name the duo had been hearing during their stay in the ranch.

Ingo Gorman was a tall, grumpy man with a huge nose. He had short, brown hair and a bushy, brown mustache to match, along with a pair of dark, blue eyes and thick, bushy eyebrows. He was wearing a pink overall over his sleeveless, green shirt and, like the Romanis, a pair of big, brown boots.

"I say," The man said "One day, I'm going to kick Talon out of here and call this place 'Ingo Ranch'. (No offense meant, little miss.)."

"And no offense taken, mister Ingo." Malon replied, giggling slightly, and acknowledging how lazy her father actually was "But I'd advise against saying something like that out loud."

"And I would accept that advice gladly." Ingo said, a smile on his face "Anyway, the wagon's ready, kid. So if you want to get to Hyrule before nightfall, now's the time."

Link nodded in approval and headed alongside Malon and Navi towards the exit of the ranch, not before taking a last, long look at Epona and the animals in it.


	10. Hyrule Castle-Town

_Hyrule Castle-Town_

Link and Navi were looking at their surroundings as the wagon rumbled forwards with the duo lying on top of the milk crates, Malon and her father sitting in front, pulling the reigns of the two horses that kept the wagon moving.

"So, Link?" Navi started, lying over Link's chest as the wagon rumbled by "What do you think is going to happen once were done with our little _'family matter'?_

Link hadn't thought about that. How would presenting himself to the Princess affect them after their errand was done?

"Honestly, Navi?" Link replied, taking a sip off a bottle of milk that Malon had given him "I don't know. But it's what the Forest Father asked of us, and _thus_ the only thing that matters to me."

There was a bump on the way to the gates of the Castle-Town, that rocked the cart a little bit, sending Link and Navi away from the topic, and making them realize where they were at the moment. The place seemed strangely familiar to Link, as if he had been there before, even though he never actually had.

The wooden drawbridge was drawn over the water-filled moat (which connected to a river) that surrounded the massive white, brick wall that was the border of the Castle-Town, the large torches at the side of the extended chains of the drawbridge lit up like a pair of big yellow eyes, with the Royal Family's Crest (which Navi had seen after they left the Forest) between the chains, atop the drawbridge.

The Royal Family's Crest had three triangles bundled together at the top, with a pair of bony white wings beneath them, as if holding them in place, and a pair of bony claws.

Link and Navi gapped in awe as the wagon passed over the bridge, and onto the inside of the Castle-Town, which was loaded with people and whose houses where big and with pointy roofs. Many people stared at the strange pair, perplexed about their look and unacquainted with their intentions.

The wagon stopped at a plaza in the middle of the town, still plagued by the looks of the people towards their strange companions.

The plaza was a small space surrounded by many shops and galleries, on top of which you could see the big signs on top of the doors, (such as _'The Hylian Bazaar'_, the _'Happy Mask Shop'_, and _'Tracy's Bombchu Bowling Alley')_ as well as a small, round fountain in the center.

The duo came down from atop the wagon, still amazed by the enormity of the place they were standing on, the cobblestone below them a strange feeling to Link's feet.

"I guess this is where we part ways, huh?" Said Malon, also coming down from the wagon, a bottle of milk in her hands "It's really been a pleasure."

"Yeah, no kidding." Link replied, saddened to say goodbye to the family they had grown so fond of "I wish you two nothing but the best of luck in your endeavors."

"Take care of yourselves, okay?" Navi continued, flying lower and giving Malon a hug "We're really going to miss you."

"And we'll miss you too, Navi." Malon replied, her heart heavy on parting ways with her newfound friends.

"You know?" Link said, unable to accept the possibility of never seeing the pair again "Maybe, after we're done with our errand, we could come visit you on the way back to the Forest."

At this point Malon handed him the bottle of milk she had been carrying and flung her arms around his neck, kissing him in the cheek, and bidding goodbye to her friends.

"The castle is off to the west from here, up the hills, through that path to the side." Said mister Talon, pointing at a path that climbed up a hillside, away from the town and into what looked like a corridor of grass and rock 'walls'.

"Don't keep us waiting, Fairy Boy." Malon said, wiping a single tear that had rolled down her cheek.

"We'll do our best to go visit soon." Link replied, smiling slightly at the pair that had treated them with such kindness "Promise."

"I'll hold you to that." Malon replied, returning Link's grin.

"And I'll make sure he doesn't forget." Navi finished, winking and bowing in the air at the ranch girl.

And so, after giving a nod to mister Talon, the four parted ways, and off Link went to the castle, Navi flying by his side.

On their way to the path, however, Link stopped in his tracks, noticing something that made him gap in amazement: For off in the distance, behind some houses and shops, behind a narrow stone staircase, lied a large building, towering over the others like a guardian spirit.

The building had three pointy rooftops, along with cobblestone wall of gray color, complete with a few overlooking windows atop its gates, inscriptions written at its sides.

Link was amazed by the amazing work of craftsmanship the Hylians were able to create, and couldn't help but feel a little (if not a _lot)_ curiosity about what such a building held inside it. However, his curiosity would have to wait, for they were at the edge of the path, and they had a Princess to meet.

The pair went up the hill, occasionally looking back at the town to see the kids running around with their dogs, and adults buying things and parroting about.

"So, Link?" Navi began, starting to imagine the possibilities of their near future "How do you think she looks?"

"The Princess?" Link continued, his imagination running. He hadn't really thought about it, now that he remembered "I don't know. Maybe she's cute, maybe not. We'll know when we see her."

"I guess you're right." Navi replied still flying up the path, Link alongside her "But you can't help but wonder."

"Hey, don't worry, Navi." Link said, smiling at his friend "Not matter _how_ cute she is (_assuming_ she's cute) there's no way she's prettier than you."

"Why thank you Link. That's really sweet of you." Navi said, blushing a bit and smiling back at Link "But don't let Saria or Malon hear you say that, or they'll be off with your head."

"Noted." Link replied, his mind imagining Saria's reaction to such statement, which (painful as it would be for him) would actually be kinda fun to hear "Hey, I think we're here."

And right he was, for the duo finally reached an opening at the end of the path, after tumbling a little on a few vines that were hurdled along the side of one of the rocky walls, and saw the imposing, towering image of Hyrule Castle standing proud and tall before them behind a long, black gate, it's pointy, green roofs a contrast to the clear, orange sky that glittered above their heads. Its cobblestone towers, an impotent defense against any invader, and its windows and torches glimmering brightly.

Never had either Link or Navi seen such an amazing structure in their short lives, and the thought of the wealth and importance of the family that resided in it was simply astounding to the pair.

There was a black, arched gate next to the end of the path, with what seemed like a stone roof above it, where a single guard stood… _well, guard, _with a long, wooden spear in his hands.The guard was wearing a suit of Hylian armor, with the Royal Family's Crest embedded in the middle of his white chestplate. He also wore a pair of what seemed like armored pants (which had some metal plates over sections of his legs) that reached down to his ankles, with a pair of reinforced boots at his feet, complete with the blue, chainmail 'shirt' that run under his chestplate, and a silver, sallet-like helmet that covered his eyes, with a long, red plume hanging down from the top, and the Royal Family's Crest engraved in the middle.

"Excuse me, sir?" Link began, polite as he could, and saluting to the knight "I have an important message to deliver to the Princess. I know it's sudden, but would you let me through? This really can't wait."

"Do you have an appointment with the princess, young man?" Asked the guard, with a polite yet commanding tone to his words.

"Well, no." Navi continued, making her presence known to the guard, and startling him a little, though he soon realized a Forest Fairy wasn't much to be worried about "But it's really important, and terrible things might happen to her and everyone if we don't meet with her."

"Then I will pass on the message, if you would let me know, so she can receive it and all will be well." The guard continued, starting to sound like he though all of this a joke.

"I'm sorry sir, but it has to be _us_ who deliver it." Link argued, sensing words weren't going to cut it "I don't expect you to understand, but we _need_ you to let us through."

"I'm sorry, kid." The man said "But I can't let you through. I mean, you don't seem threatening or anything (despite the get-up) but it is my sworn duty as a knight to protect the Royal Family from all threats, little as they may be."

"Very well, sire." Link said, a plan forming on his mind, and beckoning Navi to leave with him "You win. We'll leave. Keep up the good work."

Link went back to the opening of the path they had been treading to get to the Castle Grounds when Navi began to speak.

"I _know_ that look." Navi said, remembering Link's expression from the battles they had encountered "You've got a plan, don't you?"

"Yup." Link replied "But you're probably not going to like it."

Link had returned to the point where the vines they had stumbled upon before lied, and noticed Navi's look of concern as she realized what her boy was about to try.

"_Please,_ don't tell me-" Navi argued, noticing Link's determination on achieving their goal.

"That's right, Navi." Link replied, rubbing his hands together "We're sneaking in."

"Hylia have mercy on us." Navi finished, as Link took the vines in his hands and slowly began to climb.


	11. A Sneaky Situation

_A Sneaky Situation_

Link got to the top of the rocky 'wall', his hands sweaty and tired from the climbing, where he could see the guards patrolling the Castle Grounds, and devised a route to sneak past them and onto the Castle. Silent as a Cat, he dropped down unto the stone roof of the gate, Navi's light growing dim beside him, and running to the cover of one of the trees that stood in the center of the Grounds just as a guard passed in front of the other side of the same tree.

Link noticed two other trees a little farther down the path to the Castle and two more guards that patrolled the perimeter: One between the other two trees, and a second (making three) that patrolled around the borders of the raised section of the Grounds in which they were standing.

Link also noticed that Navi's light, dim as it was, would still attract attention, and, with sundown upon them, felt the need of concealing it further.

"Navi." He started, realizing having a floating lantern by his side was probably not the brightest of ideas "Can't your light grow any dimmer?"

"Sorry, kid. But this is as dim as I get." Navi replied, noticing their dilemma "But maybe I can hide in the Nut pouch again?"

"The Pouch is white, Navi." Link argued, getting an idea "You're light would still be seen. You're going to have to get in my pocket."

"Fair enough." Navi acknowledged, flying closer to Link's pocket, not completely comfortable about the idea "Just don't run around in circles or spin or anything of the sort, 'kay?"

Link nodded and, after Navi had flown into his pocket, noticed that the guard between the trees had moved to the side, leaving a small window of opportunity for him to run past, before the other guards turned to look. And so he ran, fast and far to the tree behind the guard, which he climbed with ease. And just in time, for the guard turned again, staring at the spot where Link had been just a few seconds ago, and returning to his position between the trees.

Link took a leap of faith there, as he jumped from one branch of the tree he was on to a branch on the other tree, above the guard's head.

He had landed like a squirrel and almost as silent, when Link noticed the last of the guards turn from a small, vined wall, much like the one he had encountered before, and the guard below him turned to the side opposite to his way's, giving him just enough time to silently jump down from the small tree he was perched upon and sprint like the wind to the vines, which he made, again, barely in time, as he climbed with the quickest of paces, just as the third guard turned around again.

From atop the rocky 'wall' he was over, he could see that only two guards remained, in front of a drawbridge between the castle gates, their backs turned at the water-filled moat that prevented access to the Castle.

Link noticed the moat went around the walls of the Castle's front, and a cobblestone platform, as if a sidewalk, far away from the guard's point of view.

Link beckoned Navi out of his pocket, yet another mad plan occurring in his head, and started explaining:

"Ok, I have a plan." Link stated, noticing Navi's face of intrigue "How long can you hold your breath?"

"A while. Why?" She asked, perplexed at the strange question.

And then she noticed the moat and, realizing Link's plan, decided to just fly above the water.

"If my wings get wet, I won't be able to fly." She continued, stating her point "You take a swim. They won't notice you swimming behind them, nor my light if I keep it dim."

"Very well. Follow my lead." Link finished, jumping off the wall they were over, and diving straight onto the moat the second he touched the ground.

The cold water was like a knife to Link's skin, and his clothes, being wet as they were, were quite uncomfortable in the need of a quick swim by the guard's backs, which the pair nailed, not arising a single suspicion of their presence in the Castle Grounds.

They climbed the cobblestone 'sidewalk' and noticed, to their relief, there was not a guard in sight, their way free for the time being.

"Well, that went well." Navi said, watching Link getting used to the wet tunic he was now wearing, his blond hair falling over his face.

"Says _you_." Link replied, giving a disgusted look to the smiling Fairy, longing for the ability to fly like his guardian.

Link got up on his feet again and, finally able to look at the place he was standing upon, realized there was a small drain upon a side of the Castle's wall, from where a stream of clear, transparent water was flowing unto the moat, it's opening just big enough for our protagonist to crawl into.

After wiping what he could of water from his hands, Link jumped into the border of the side of the wall, completely ignoring the presumably locked door to the end of the 'sidewalk', and crawled into the tiny space, Navi floating at his side.

Link and Navi came out on a small, round watering hole, and, after climbing out of it, realized that they were now inside of the Castle's walls, and inside what seemed like the end of a small garden.

On said 'garden' was a big wall on their right, housing a wooden door, and a couple of barrels of water, as well as some bushes and hedges. In front of them, was a large wall, with an opening to the side that led to another part of the garden.

Link had already started to carelessly make his way toward the opening when Navi stopped him on the spot, and Link soon realized why, for he too heard the grass rustle under the boots of the guards who were patrolling the next sections of the garden.

Link thanked Navi as quietly as he could and put his back against the wall. On the next section of the garden there was only one guard, making loops around a bundle of hedge that was shaped like a square.

Link sneaked past him without any trouble and, having concealed himself around a convenient hedge on the other side of the section, kept on forwards to a section of the garden with two large, square fountains, and a couple of guards, both circling around their respective fountain over and over again.

This section proved more of a challenge to Link than the last, for every time he thought he had the guard's pattern set, one of them always moved to a side he didn't expect.

Link actually managed to sneak past these two, without any major problems, and concealed himself behind a line of cut hedge, that went over a roofed section of the garden, with supports in the middle (next to which a guard was patrolling), and the two hedges at the sides, suspended by a plank above their heads which Navi (who had been flying above the guard's point of view) helped Link notice.

He climbed onto the plank with the swiftest of feet, not making one sound to alert the guard below.

He climbed down to the next part of the grassy environment to a section which had a large stone statue of a knight in shining, silver armor, with two guards making rounds around it.

Link managed to sneak past them with ease, and couldn't help but think that maybe (if their helmets didn't cover their eyes), they would actually be able to do their jobs properly.

Even still, Link had a tremendous respect towards the soldiers, for even though they weren't the sharpest needles of the bunch, they were more than ready to protect their masters and rulers to the bitter end.

Link came then into a section of the garden that looked as if it might give him some trouble. There was a large, rectangular hedge-'wall' that had a big statue in the middle, representing Nayru (The Godess of Wisdom), and two guards circling around the edges of the hedge-'wall'.

Link had to think fast before one of the guards turned to see him, as he threw himself into the hedge-'wall' and crawled inside of it to the other side, right next to the statue, and, after waiting for the second guard to keep on his way, launched himself out of the hedge and into another section of the castle's courtyard, below a stone archway that led into a round, open space with a flower patch in the middle of it, in the shape of the Royal Family's Crest.

There, atop a couple of stone steps, the duo finally saw someone, around their age by the looks of the person's height, staring deep into a window, back turned to the pair…


	12. The Princess of Fate

_The Princess of Fate_

The duo came closer to the person, judging by her attire that they had finally met the person they had been looking for.

"Who are you?" Exclaimed the startled girl, who had just realized the duo's presence in her Courtyard "How did you get past the guards?"

Now Link could see the girl clearly. She was around Link's age, no older than thirteen, and had the deepest pair of blue eyes Link would see in his life. She had a white veil over her head, with a thick, purple line in the middle (with an emblem resembling three golden triangles bundled together over her head), and strands of her blond hair falling over her startled face. Her dress was white as well, with a purple overlay went over most of her torso and back, and housed the Royal Family's Crest upon itself, the bundle of triangles now in gold, and the pair of wings and claws (now with what looked like the head of a bird atop them) a deep, bloody red, and a final, reversed triangle beneath the red wings and claws, also in gold. Around her neck was a golden necklace, with ornaments that resembled fangs, in the middle a throne-like flower with a red gem inside it. She also had a golden, belt around her waist (because you can _never_ have _too_ much gold, right?) the trim of which resembled sunflowers, and a pair of thin, golden wristbands.

"Please don't be scared!" Link reacted, putting his hands in front of him, as if to show they meant no harm, watching the girl calm down "The _'Princess of Fate'_ I presume?"

"I've been called that, yes." She replied, still not sure about the boy's intentions. And then she saw Navi, fluttering by Link's side and her expression changed completely, from one of worry, to one of perplexity.

She knew what their arrival meant, and yet, she couldn't believe it was actually happening.

"Wait." She stopped our heroes, who were starting to come closer "Is that a Fairy?"

"Why, yes milady. But, with all due respect, my companion would like to be referred to as a _'She'_, and not an _'It'_." Link said, kneeling before his ruler, feeling Navi bowing on his shoulder "Her name is Navi and we've come a long way to meet you."

"Pleasure." The Princess responded, noticing her luck and bowing back to the duo "Tell me, since you've got a Fairy companion, that would mean you're from the Forest, right?"

"Yes, milady." Navi replied, a little nervous about the whole situation "And as you know, the Kokiri Forest is quite a ways away from here, and our presence here is from nothing but the utmost importance."

"I understand." She replied politely, nodding and beckoning the pair to stand "Then if you are from the Kokiri Forest, that would mean you have the Spiritual Stone of the Forest, wouldn't it? That shiny, green stone?"

"The Kokiri Emerald, ma'am." Link replied, handing over the Stone the Great Deku Tree had entrusted them before passing away.

The girl's gaze did not move from the stone, her face one of marvel "Then it is as I thought."

"I'm sorry, milady, but I'm not sure I follow." Link said, his mind riddled with the unfolding events.

And then, the Princess put the Emerald on her pocket, and began to explain:

_"I had a dream... In my dream, dark storm clouds were billowing over the land of Hyrule... But suddenly, a ray of light shot out of the Forest, parted the clouds and lit up the ground... The light turned into a figure holding a green and shining stone, followed by a Fairy..."_

"I've been having these strange dreams as of late, and I've come to the conclusion that they have a deeper meaning than just scaring me at night." She resumed, almost wiping the astounding image from the duo's minds "I believed this to be a prophecy, crazy as it sounds, that someone would come from the Forest, accompanied by a Fairy. And now, here you are, Navi floating by your side, so I believe you to be the man from my prophecy."

Link didn't know what to think of all of this. _'Me? The man to bring light to Hyrule?' _he thought, his surprise a taking hold of his mind.

"And your father has done nothing about this?" Navi broke out, the question one that had also ran through Link's mind "I mean, not to be disrespectful, but one would assume the King would do something about her daughter's warnings."  
"He would." The Princess continued, now sounding less formal and more like the girl she looked like "If he _believed_ her. Every time I've told him of my dreams he always rejects the chance of them being true. What do you think? I mean, this can't all just be some mad coincidence, can it?"

"I think that the Great Deku Tree called you the _'Princess of Fate'_ for a reason. And also that this is all just _too_ crazy _not_ to be true." Link commenced, smiling at his ruler as if they had been friends forever "So, yes. I believe you."

"As do I." Navi supported, making the princess return a warm grin to the duo.

"Thank you both, really." The Princess continued, smiling back to the pair "But where are my manners. I got so carried with everything that was going on, that I forgot to properly introduce myself. I am Zelda, Princess of Hyrule. Now, I already know _your_ name, Miss Navi, so I ask: What would _your_ name be, mister?"

"Link, milady. Link Kokiri, at your service and all your Family's." our protagonist replied, bowing again to the Princess "Extensive as it may be."

"Link…" She trailed off "Strange, but your name feels familiar somehow. As if I've known you for a long time."

The three stayed silent, as Zelda's face turned into a large grin, followed by Link's.

"So, Princess?" Navi started after a while, breaking the moment "What would you have us do?"

"Please, we're all friends here." She began, her blue eyes sinking into Navi's with the confidence of a childhood companion, chuckling a little "So no _'Princess'_ or _'Milady'_, alright? My name is Zelda, and that is so it can be mentioned."

"Very well, Zelda." Link started, a bit overwhelmed about how good things were going "What is thy wish?"

Zelda beckoned the pair to the window she had been peeking upon when they arrived.

"You see that man?" She started as Link peeked through the window alongside her "I believe the storm clouds from my dream to symbolize that man."

Link knew exactly what man she was talking about, for on the other side of the window there was a tall, dark-skinned man, clad in black armor, kneeling to another person who Link would not see but in many years to come. He had a large, black cape behind him, the golden trim of his attire making Link believe he was a man of means and Power. He had red hair that was combed to the back of his head, and a short, red beard to match, with an ornament on his forehead, in the shape of a grey circle with claws at the bottom, and a golden gem at its center, and a pair of orange eyes, menacing as menacing got.

"Who is he?" Link asked, the man's appearance a tad familiar, though he did not know from where "And why do you think he's the storm clouds from your dream?"

"His name is Ganondorf." Zelda stated, her hatred for the man apparent in her voice "And right now, he's apparently pledging allegiance to my father, but I know better."

"Why would he be pledging allegiance?" Navi started, unknowing to the revelation that was about to befall them "Isn't everyone in your father's kingdom under his rule already?"

"_Almost_ everyone is, Navi." Zelda replied, her blue eyes not moving from the man "But not the Gerudos. You see, the Gerudos were an all-female tribe of warriors from the Great Desert, with a mighty King by their side (He was Ganondorf's father, you see), but after the Great War thirteen years ago, the Gerudos 'disbanded' their allegiance to their fallen King and became only ravagers and pillagers. Ganondorf claims his intentions are to establish peace from the times of War his father caused the kingdom, but honestly I think he's just scared. Even if he _were_ foolish enough to stab us in the back, we Hylians still have an army to defend us, and he is 'King' of nothing but _thieves_."

Link's heart stopped beating for what seemed like ages to him and Navi, as they realized the man that was kneeling a window away from them had been the reason they had had to go through so much pain.

"That's him Navi." Link said, clenching his fists, his wrath boundless "He killed the Great Deku Tree."

Zelda's face was of nothing but the deepest pain as she heard this, knowing of the tale of the Forest Father and the children it protected, her loathing for the man growing stronger with every passing second.

It was then that Ganondorf turned his eye to the window, meeting Link's gaze with the most malicious of expressions.

'_I can't __wait__ to kill you, you heartless bastard.'_ Link thought, meeting Ganon's gaze with the rage of a thousand Dragons.

"He saw us." Navi said, focusing on the possible complications on their plan.

"Don't worry." Zelda said, looking back at Navi with the most sympathetic of glares "He doesn't know what we're planning. Yet."

"What would you have me do?" Link asked, still not turning his eyes from the window.

Noticing all doubt had escaped her companions, Zelda beckoned them away from the window, which Link (reluctantly) did. They sat on the stone steps that leaded to the window, and Zelda began to explain:

"I assume you know of the Sacred Realm and the treasure it houses?" She started, receiving a nod from her friends "Good. Then as you know, the Triforce is an item of immense power. A power that, should it ever be harnessed, has the ability to change the whole of Knaveth as we know it. See, there is a Legend that's been passed down through the many generations of the Royal Family of Hyrule: The Legend states that, if one pure of heart touches the Triforce, then the world shall become a place of peace. However, if the one who touches the Triforce is Evil in his core, then the world shall turn to a place of death and malice."

"And Ganondorf is looking for the Triforce." Link stated, noticing in Zelda's look he had nailed the assumption "How do we stop him?"

"He would need to enter the Sacred Realm in order to get the Triforce." Zelda resumed "And to do so, he must first gather all Spiritual Stones, and the treasure of the Royal Family: The Ocarina of Time. Now, you've already got _one_ of the Stones, and _I've_ got the Ocarina. All we need are the three other Spiritual Stones in order to keep the entrance from him."

"Where do we find them?" Navi asked, her worry great as the Deku Tree itself.

"One of them, The Goron's Ruby, lies atop a huge mountain, overlooking Kakariko Village." Zelda explained "Guarded by the leader of the Gorons, Darunia. The second, The Zora's Sapphire, is located on the domain of a friend of my father's, after crossing Zora's River. Just follow the moat outside of the Castle-Town's border to find it."

"Then what are we waiting for?" Link began, standing from his sitting position on the steps and holding out his hand to help Zelda do the same "Let's get going!"

"Nayru's Wisdom." Came another voice from the stone archway that leaded into the rest of the courtyard, startling Link and Navi both, though Zelda didn't seem surprised "Aren't _you_ a feisty one."

"Ah, there you are, Impa." Zelda began, holding out her hand to calm the pair of startled Forest-Dwellers "I was wondering when you were going to show yourself."

Impa of the Shiekahs was a tall, serious woman, around forty years old, who had short, silver hair that was tied at the back of her head, and a pair of (believe it or not) blood-red eyes (You'll be seeing _those_ a lot.). She wore a silver breastplate, along with a pair of silver kneecaps and a pair of dark-blue leather boots that covered her ankles. She also had dark-blue shoulder pads, and a pair of wrist-guards of the same color. Impa also had a white teardrop tattooed beneath her left eye, and a golden earring on her right, pointy ear. What was most curious about Impa, however, was the support of her shoulder pads, extended from shoulder to shoulder with a brown line, at the middle of which the a strange Symbol resided, colored in blue (I'll explain how it looks later on), she had also a small sheath on her lower back, housing a Shortsword she was rather fond of.

"Greetings, travelers." Impa began, a grin forming on her face to greet them "I am Impa. I am Princess Zelda's nursemaid and guardian. Apologies for scaring you. It's a nasty habit of mine."

"No worries." Link replied, bowing to Impa and sheathing the Kokiri Blade, which he had instinctively reached for.

"If the guards see you leave, there'll be trouble." Zelda stated, noticing that the guard's pattern was going to get more difficult to avoid during the incoming nighttime "It's better if Impa takes you out."

Impa approached the protagonist, as Zelda beckoned Navi to stand on Link's shoulder.

"I'll stay here to guard the Ocarina while you get the Stones. Fare thee well, travelers." Zelda finished, her blue eyes sinking into Link's for the last time as Impa grabbed his arm "And may fortune stand in your favor."

But before Link or Navi could reply, there came a crushing feeling from Link's lungs, and with a smell of ashes and smoke, they were gone.


	13. The Journey Begins

_The Journey Begins_

When Link opened his eyes, the three were no longer in the Castle's Courtyard, but instead outside on the outside end of the drawbridge on the Castle-Town's border.

"How did we get here?" Link asked, regaining his breath from the lung-crushing sensation, and watching Navi do the same "What did you do?"

"Shadow Magic." Navi cut in, perplexing Link and noticing Impa's face, which told her she had nailed the assumption "I've heard rumors of the Shiekahs, but I never thought I'd meet one."

"Eh, why do I feel like I'm missing something here?" Link pointed out, reminding Navi he wasn't so experienced in whatever concerned out-of-the-Forest lore "What are the _'Shiekahs'?_ And also, '_Shadow Magic'?"_

Navi was already opening her mouth to reply when Impa cut her off.

"We Shiekahs have been the protectors of the Royal Family of Hyrule for centuries." Impa began, the smell of ash and smoke vanishing from the air around them "However, this was not always so. We Shiekahs were a proud race of warriors, and lived over the hills beneath the tallest mountain in Hyrule. But after the War thirteen years ago, we Shiekah went nearly extinct. Some of us remain, scattered, but alive, in the far reaches of the corners of the world. Shadow Magic is the power that makes us Shiekah so different to the Hylians. It grants us the ability to run alter our characteristics and a basic form of teleportation, as well as the ability to talk to others telepathically."

"You can talk to others through your _mind?!_ That's _Awesome_!" Link continued, amazed by the powers of Impa's tribe "Could you demonstrate, please?"

"Oh, but I already have, little one." Impa said, a cocky grin forming on her face "Tell me, at any point of our conversation, did you see me move my lips at all?"

Link then noticed what Impa meant, astonished that he hadn't realized that the whole explanation they had just had had been only in his and Navi's minds.

"Wow." Navi said, just realizing what had happened, her face one of marvel "Just, wow. I can't believe I didn't notice. I guess the Magic of the _'Shadow Folk'_ _is_ impervious to my senses after all."

"What do you mean?" Link asked, wondering what Navi was on about "You can sense Magic?"

"Kind of, yeah." Navi replied, watching Link admiring her skill "We Fairies are way more connected to Magic than you Kokiri, but our 'sixth sense' (as one would call it) can only advert us of certain kinds of Magic. The Shiekah's Magic being one of the exceptions."

"And you didn't tell me about this, why?" Link asked, realizing there was more to his flying companion than met the eye.

"It didn't seem important." Navi said, shrugging and provoking Link's anger "Gohma didn't have any Magic in her, and any other enemy we've encountered didn't either, so it wouldn't have mattered anyway. Besides, you never asked."

"Ah, fair enough." Link responded, acknowledging Navi had a point "But if there's anything else that I should know about you that might help us in the future, let me know."

"Very well." Navi replied, returning to the matters at hand "But returning to the present: What do we do now madam Impa?"

Impa looked over at a river that ran below a stone bridge to the north of their location, as Link and Navi noticed it was now turning nighttime.

"There is a village over the other side of that bridge." Impa said, pointing at the stone staircases that lied in an opening between two rock 'walls' in the distance "It used to be a Shiekah village, but I and a few more of us opened it to the Hylians after the refugees from the War needed a place to stay. Its name is Kakariko and I've sent a telepathic message saying that you will be arriving soon. Present yourselves to old man Shikashi at my old house and he'll let you in to rest for the night."

"Very well, miss Impa." Link said, bowing to his elder "Thank you for the kindness. But how will we know what your house looks like?"

"You can't miss it." Impa responded, watching the pair turning to leave.

And just as they were about to leave, Impa grabbed Link by the arm and stopped him in his tracks.

"Wait." She said "There's one more thing. Old Shikashi, though respectful and passive, _is_ indeed very old, and he may forget some of the things I've said."

"Then what will you have us do?" Navi asked, realizing they wouldn't get a warm bed for the night if they didn't hurry to the village.

"There is a Song that is used to prove a person's connection to the Royal Family. If you were to play that Song, Shikashi would surely remember. It's a Song that I used to play Princess Zelda as a Lullaby to make her sleep when she was a child. Listen closely."

And fast as lightning, Link took out Saria's Ocarina and copied almost immediately every note of the Song Impa whistled to the letter, until he finally got _'Zelda's Lullaby'_ right.

"Very well." Impa said, backing away from the pair, who were now facing the steps to the village "I do believe that is all for now. Safe travels, brave children, and may '_Kagenokami'_ guard your way."

But just as Link was about to ask what whatever Impa had said meant, he turned around to see the Shiekah had vanished, without making a sound, the smell of ashes and smoke filling his nose again.

After a while of puzzled looks, the duo decided to head for the Village that Impa had mentioned, going off into wherever it took to carry out their quest. The pair went on for about an hour of walking, and (after crossing the bridge Impa had pointed out) reached a small, wooden sign that said as follows:

'_Welcome to Kakariko Village!_

_Home of the Great Impa and the Shadow Folk.'_

"'The _Great_ Impa'? Link started "Seems the Princess' nursemaid has more to herself than she lets on."

And after a minute of needless pondering of the meaning of the words, Link put his foot on the stone steps and (with Navi floating beside him) he steadily began to ascend.


	14. Kakariko Village

_Kakariko Village_

Link and Navi arrived at the top of the stone steps and were welcomed by a big, wooden sign atop their heads that formed a pathway into the rest of the town, with the same inscription as the sign below the steps.

Nightfall was upon them and the duo felt the need of a bed in which to spend the night in. (Even though Navi could just get into the Nut Pouch.).

The houses of the villagers were big and rustic in look, with red and blue roofs in different houses, and a construction site of a red, brick building over the far side of town, over an unleveled plot of land. There was a huge, wooden watch-post over at the left of the village, next to what Link assumed was a shop, judging by its sign, which said _'Granny's Every-Purpose Potion Depot'_. But the most amazing thing about the village was not the distinct houses or the watch-post: It was the gargantuan Windmill which drew water from the well in the far end of town, next and to the back of the construction site. That Windmill was so tremendously huge, it's blades so imposing, Link thought it might block out the sun itself from the sight of the villagers by day.

"Which house is hers?" Navi asked, inspecting the rustic houses of the silent village.

"She said we couldn't miss it." Link replied, yawning and rubbing his eyes in a tired manner.

And then the duo realized what Miss Impa had been talking about, for there, to their right, was the biggest house with a green, pointy roof atop it, a sign over the door saying: _'Welcome to the House of the Great Impa.'_

"Oh." Link began, not being able to believe they hadn't noticed that before "Well, that's _really_ convenient, now isn't it?"

"Almost _too_ convenient." Navi replied, not once daring to let something surprise her, no matter how good it seemed "Don't let your guard down, Link."

"You don't take your chances, do you?" Link argued, noticing his tiny friend flying lower and making her light dimmer, as he himself reached for the handle of the Kokiri Blade.

"Not if I don't have to." Navi replied, flying closer to the house's door, Link walking by her side, sword at the ready.

Link knocked on the white-and-black-spotted, birch-wood door, his left hand on the hilt of the Blade, Navi flying a little higher than Link's height.

There was a creaking on the door's rusty hinges as there came a soft, golden light from inside, and the pair was greeted by an old, brittle man who was wearing a long, blue robe and a raggedy, blue, pointy hat, His long, white strands of hair running free over his thin shoulders, his red eyes tired and narrow. He also had a white, bushy mustache and a color on the tip of his nose that made him seem as if he had caught a cold.

"Mister Shikashi, I presume?" Link began, dragging the old man's gaze onto his being.

"Shikashi?" Started the man, as if unsure the boy was referring to him "There's no Shikashi's here, but he's bound to be back soon. Though it's strange, 'cause I seem to recall a message from an old friend of his reaching me, saying that a certain someone would come. Though I have absolutely _no_ idea _why_ she would send the message to _me_, especially considering all the trouble it will be for me to deliver such an important message to…"

The duo had stopped listening to whatever the Hell the old man had been rumbling about. Impa had warned them about this, and (after giving each other a nod) realized exactly what they had to do. Without a doubt in his mind that they were dealing with Shikashi himself, Link took out the Fairy Ocarina and played _'Zelda's Lullaby' _in a soft, soothing tone, to which the old man stopped talking at once and stared at the pair with intrigue.

"Remember now?" Navi said, her silken wings folding and sitting on Link's shoulder yet again.

"Yes, I remember now." Shikashi said, his voice now wise and awake "Impa told me you'd be coming. Please come in."

He widened the door behind him and gave space for the pair to go into the house.

Impa's house was bigger on the inside than it looked on the outside (and it looked _pretty_ big on the outside). It had white walls with a few windows about the ones on the front of the entrance and the left, both with green curtains covering them. It also had a nice, round rug with a pattern of rings of different colors overlapping around and over each other, and a couple of cupboards and shelves around the sides of the walls. The kitchen was to the right of the entrance (a small bar of cobblestone and a pile of log s to the far side of it with a cauldron dangling over it.) and a pair of old creaky staircases to the left, next to the round, wooden table and chairs on the middle of the room.

The pair went up the staircase and to the second floor of the house (a corridor that went along the sides of the walls on the room below, and had a lot of doors composing it) and got into the first door to the right of where they climbed, and entered a room with three long beds with white blankets, a pair of large windows on the walls that overlooked the village, with a pair of yellow curtains that hung over them. There were ornaments on the walls, like shields and crests of sorts, that wore emblems of different tribes and races of Hyrule, and the lands beyond. This led Link and Navi to assume that Impa had been a traveler during her early days, and wonder about the strange lands and places she had visited in her youth.

"I am humbled, young masters, to be of use to the Great Impa and her acquaintances." Said Shikashi, holding a lantern in his old, bony hands.

"And we are glad to have you as a host." Said Link, taking off the Nut Pouch and Seed Bag from his belt and lying on the fuzzy bed "But I have to ask: Why do you call her the _'Great'_ Impa?"

"Well, young sir." Shikashi began "That is quite a story indeed. But to be short about it, this here village of Kakariko was in times of old a Shiekah village, and Shiekah exclusively. Lady Impa was one of the folks that decided to grant access to the Hylians and travelers who didn't have anywhere else to turn during the War thirteen years ago. However, due to motives of social standards and old, uneasy customs, most of her companions decided to give up on the idea, on the grounds that Kakariko was a village of the Shadow Folk and had no business in the War. They were afraid that aiding the Hylians would result in an invasion of the village and the killing of their ilk if the War took an ill turn (not like a war can take any good turn in its midst but you get the idea.). But Impa would not surrender, and in time she finally convinced the Lords of Shadow (the Shiekah 'chancellors' if you will) to finally lend a hand to the Hylians. Sure, the Gerudos came to the village eventually, and they gave us quite the battle, but we Shiekah endured and though few remained of us, we survived the infernal struggle. When the King of Hyrule found out about the amount of people Impa had saved in the village, he announced her to be the protector of the Princess herself, and the rest of the Shadow Folk to become the guardians of the remainder of the Royal Family. Some accepted and became Warriors, some declined and move to the country of Termina for an easier life, but all Shiekahs knew that no matter what they chose, they would always be renowned as Knights of Hyrule, become revered by some and feared by even more."

"So _that's_ why they call her _'Great'_." Navi concluded, astonished at the courage and the sacrifice of the Shadow Folk "Because she fought to save the Hylians."

"She was very brave, wasn't she?" Came Link, amazed as much as Navi at Impa's past glory.

"The bravest of all Shiekahs." Shikashi continued, remembering a time when he would fight next to Impa and the rest of the Shadow Folk in the protection of their home "But I do believe it is time for you two to get some sleep. We've lingered long enough, wouldn't you agree?"

"Quite right you are, mister Shikashi." Link answered, remembering actually how late it had been when they had come to the village "Good night and sweet dreams."

"And good night to you two as well, young sirs." Shikashi completed, heading for the door, and taking the handle in hand "You'll need it if you're going to be climbing Death Mountain tomorrow morning."

"Very well." Link said as mister Shikashi left the room and the moonlight alone shone over Link and Navi's faces. And then Link realized something that took almost all possibility of sleep away from the pair. "Wait." He told Navi, his eyes wide in dread "_**'Death Mountain'?!**_"


	15. Navi's Cold Secret

_A Cold, Hard Truth_

Link and Navi went down the stairs the next morning, not once forgetting the dreadful name of the place they had to go next.

"Seriously, though." Link said, as he and Navi went down the stairs, his equipment back over himself "Who names a place _'Death Mountain'?"_

"I don't know." Navi replied, wondering also about whatever had been going on in the mind of whoever named apparently-dreadful place "Maybe someone who doesn't want people to go near it?"

"Well, yeah." Link replied, taking Navi's point into consideration "But couldn't he or she name it something _else_ and put, like, I don't know, a _'Keep Out'_ sign or something?"

"Maybe." Navi said "But think about it. Would a _'Keep Out'_ sign have stopped us?"

After acknowledging Navi had had a point, Link went onwards to the table on the house's living room, where old Shikashi was sitting, with a couple of bowls, presumably of soup, for the two of them on the other end of the table.

The pair sat down in front of the old man putting the Kokiri Blade next to the chair and taking the first sip of the biggest of the bowls of soup. Navi sat a small bit in front of him on the table, with a small, yet adequate bowl of soup between her tiny legs, and an even smaller, silver spoon in her delicate hands.

"So, tell me children." Said old man Shikashi, taking a spoonful of soup to his raggedy mouth "Do you plan in staying for a while at the village before heading up Death Mountain? Or will you instead just barge on ahead the moment you can? I personally believe it a better course of action to meet a few of the people of the town before venturing onwards. Who knows what terrible dangers you could meet with upon your travels? You never know how many a helping hand you need until you need it after all."

"I think it a good idea to heed mister Shikashi, Link." Navi stated, more than a little anxious to explore the village and meet the people in it "After all, the mountain isn't going anywhere."

"Fair point." Link replied, who even if anxious, was conscious that time may have been running out for them "But you have to remember we're on the clock Navi. So it'll have to be quick."

"It's settled then." Shikashi continued, standing from his chair "I shall tell the Guards to let you through the gates into the Mountain Trail once you are ready to go."

After leaving his plate on the kitchen, Shikashi went to the far end of the room, and pulled a small chest from below a nightstand beside the farthest window and took it to the table once Link and Navi had finished their meal.

"Just in case you run into trouble." Said Shikashi, taking the key for the chest out of his robes' pocket "Miss Impa told me that you would need it."

Link was marveled at the contents of the chest, for inside it there was a Shield unlike any he had seen before. The Shield was blue in color, with a silver trim around the edges and metal bolts over the trim, holding it in place. The Crest of the Royal Family was engraved into the shield, with the three triangles of the Triforce shining golden on the middle, with a pair of silver linings on either side that resembled two gusts of wind, the red, bony wings and claws painted below it, and a fourth, golden Triangle beneath the 'bird'.

The back of the Shield was of something Link knew all too well, for when you grow up surrounded by it, it is difficult not to recognize a layer of Deku wood, and the handles for the arm to fit in were cloaked in white silk, as if to ease the bearer's pain whilst wielding the Shield.

Link was still marveling at the piece of equipment that would undoubtedly save him from many an enemy blow, when Navi saw something in the chest that stirred her interest more than the Shield: A silver Dagger, with a curved edge and a handle embedded in silver trim, with a green jewel at the back of the hilt.

"This is a Shield from one of the Knights of Hyrule. A remnant from the War thirteen years ago. No matter how much it is hit, its surface is unbreakable and I'll be dammed if ever you see a scratch on so much as the paint job." Explained Shikashi, handing Link a leather harness for the Shield (with a gold buckle and brown cloth covering the sides of it) which the protagonist strapped around his waist and over his right shoulder, attaching the Hylian Shield to his back, behind the sheath of the Kokiri Blade.

In doing this however, Link noticed the Shield was, as a matter of fact, a bit _too_ large for him (being made for an adult instead of a kid) and that he would need both hands in order to carry it properly, _if_ he was even strong enough to do so.

Navi on the other hand, was amazed at the Dagger, and wished she was able to wield such a beautiful weapon as Link brandished his Sword.

Something which Shikashi noticed immediately.

"Take it if you want, little one." He said, acknowledging the tiny creature's longing for the weapon. "It is of no use to one as old and brittle as me."

Navi took the Dagger and its sheath in her hands, and (after thanking Shikashi for his kindness) floated with it to the room in which she and Link had spent the night. Link wondered why Navi of all people would feel attracted to a weapon that was, in whole, about her size, to say nothing of how she would wield it. So Link (being curious as he was) decided to tail his friend to the room they had inhabited. He was just outside the door when he started hearing grunts from inside the room. They were the kind of grunts of someone who is fighting the pain of a bruise, or who has an annoying cut to deal with. And from below the door, Link could see a flash of cyan light, growing dimmer and dimmer.

He had no idea what was going on inside the room, but if Navi's light was growing dimmer and there were grunts coming out of the room, then it couldn't be anything good.

Concerned about his Guardian, Link grabbed the doorknob with his right hand, and clutched the Kokiri Blade tightly with his left, prepared for whatever he may encounter.

He slowly opened the door, to see the small ball of light that was Navi glowing dimmer than before, sweat on her brow and slowness in her silken wings.

"Navi?" Link started, causing his friend to turn at him and revealing a stunning surprise.

Navi had something in her hands, holding it close to her chest not unlike a child holds a toy. She had been very careful to conceal that certain power of hers, but after Link had seen the Silver Dagger, now the size of a needle in his eyes, Navi thought it best to tell him the truth about that one last skill of hers she had thought better to hide.

"It's small." Link said, astonished and perplexed at the item, the sheath of which Navi was wrapping around her right leg.

"Yes. That it is." Navi said, desperate to find words to explain the situation. "Look, I have something to tell you."

"No kidding, really?"

Navi could understand why Link would be bothered. I mean, it _was_ a pretty big secret. Nevertheless explaining the whole thing would have been better in different circumstances.

She hovered past him and closed the door behind them, locking themselves in the room.

"So you have the power to shrink things to your size?" Link asked, wondering why Navi had decided not to tell him of her ability.

"Sort of. You see Link, I didn't shrink the Dagger." Navi explained, hoping to end the matters quickly "It shrunk _with_ me."

"It shrunk _with_ you?" Link asked, scratching his blond hair in astonishment "I'm afraid I do not follow."

"It would be better if you didn't." Navi concluded, flying in front of Link, into the more 'open' part of the room.

Navi's light started glowing brighter and brighter until the little ball of cyan light wasn't so little anymore. In fact, the light was so big Link couldn't see because of its brightness. The glowing stopped growing, and from the light started coming grunts, as if someone had been walking for hours upon hours at an end and was desperate for rest. And then the glowing stopped, and when Link took his hand from his eyes, the image before him made his jaw drop to the ground.

In front of him, there wasn't the little ball of light that had been following him around, but in its stead a thin, beautiful girl with sleek, black hair, wearing a cyan nightgown and with a pair of eyes blue as the sky at morn. It was almost impossible for Link to believe that the girl standing in front of him, with her silken wings extended behind her, had been flying beside him all along.

"It hurts when I grow." She said, now with a voice much more clear than the one Link had been hearing the whole time he had known her. "I can only stay this size for so long. Also whatever I'm touching when I shrink shrinks with me, hence the Dagger."

But no words came from Link. He couldn't bring himself to think of anything to say, no matter how many question he had running on his mind. He had seen Navi, and knew what she looked like from before, but seeing her in his size really made him notice how pretty she had really been the whole time. It was something different entirely and even though it made many a question rise, there was only one that would make Link break the silence.

"Why didn't you _tell_ me?" He said, still gaping in awe.

"Because you wouldn't want to hear it."

"Hear what?" He protested "That my Guardian Fairy is a beautiful girl with hair down to her waist? It's the most amazing thing that's happened so far! Why would you think that I wouldn't like it?"

"Because you would have asked."

"_Asked what?!"_

"Think about it for a while."

Link fell silent that moment, thinking of all the questions in his mind, one he wouldn't want to hear the answer to.

He thought and thought, but the closest thing to a question of the sort was: "Can all Fairies grow like that?"

Navi's face said everything. Maybe it had not been the right question, but it was on the right track.

"Yes. They can." She answered, putting her hand on her arm yet again, her expression one of sadness. "Most of us, anyway."

"Why had they never done so before?" Link continued, unwillingly getting closer to the answer he unknowingly dreaded.

"Because they couldn't maintain it for long. That knowledge comes later on."

"Later on?" He replied, pondering the meaning of the conversation. "Later on _when?" _

"When we're old enough." She said, her expression now one of not only sadness, but deepest regret and pity. To this day Link can recall few times when he saw Navi as sad as she was that moment.

"What do you mean 'when you're old enough', Navi?" Link said, still oblivious to the horrible realization to come. "We don't age remember?"

A tear rolled down Navi's cheek then, as she opened her mouth to protest.

"No, Link." She said, with deepest regret in her voice. And then Link understood, his mind stopping all thought, his heart snapping in half. "_You_ don't age."

The world seemed to stop moving for Link at that moment. His Sword weighted tons, his Shield crushed his back and his knees were brittle and cold.

In the end the sadness of knowing he would loose his best friend one day was too much to bear, and as tears rolled down from his deep, blue eyes, Link of the Kokiri Forest was robbed of the power to stand.


	16. A Day In Town

_A Day In Town_

"It's not fair!" He cried out, his rage boiling for the world to have cursed him so. It had been a few minutes now and his cheeks were now wet and his eyes red from the tears.

"Life rarely is, my friend." Navi answered, kneeling down and hugging her boy with the deepest of pities and the caring of a little sister.

"It's just wrong!" He continued, no matter how much Navi tried to convince him to stop weeping the inevitable outcome of the future years.

"There comes a point when you just don't need a Guardian anymore, Link." She continued, her own sadness preventing her from erasing her boy's pain. "But we Fairies have extremely long lives, so you see, you have about a thousand years of my nagging in your future. So don't be sad alright?"

Link's tears stopped falling a while later. She _was_ right, as she often was, after all. A thousand years of her nagging would get old someday, but he was glad in the end that if he was to see Navi die, at least he would have spent so many years of companionship with the Fairy by then.

"Very well." He said, regaining his composure, for tough as things were, he was still needed, and sitting there crying wouldn't prevent impending doom. Besides Navi _was_ asking nicely, and if by all means she can be annoying as Hell, you haven't seen Navi when she's being particularly nice to someone. It's not something you can say 'no' to. "I'll forget about it for now."

His knees were still trembling from the news, and even if Navi's sweet, kind eyes were still piercing into his own, it was still a heavy load to carry.

"Now come on." She said, helping her boy up, a warm, kind smile on her face. It was the kind of smile Saria used to give him in his hours of despair and the kind that made Link appreciate Navi's company like nothing else in the world. "I can't stay this size for much longer and the last thing I need is your tears all over my wings."

And with that, there was no flash of light, as Navi shrunk yet again to the size of a lantern in the blink of an eye, and sat on her boy's shoulder once more.

He didn't want to face the unbearable truth, but he had to try for his friend. After all, she'd do it for him, wouldn't she?

Link went out of the room, his eyes still red from the tears, with Navi sitting on his shoulder as he went down the stairs.

The duo noticed mister Shikashi was no longer in the house, remembering that he had mentioned talking to the Guards at the Mountain Gates. They paid no heed to the disappearance of the old man, and in turn decided to go outside and explore the town themselves. (Link mostly to distract himself from thinking on the grim realization from a few minutes ago.).

When the duo walked out the door, they were met with the unmistakable noises of Cuccos and the laughter of little children, running around town chasing each other.

The pair decided to walk around the Village before heading to the gate, in order to meet some of the folk that usually hanged around town.

They were looking for a place to see when they heard a strange music in the air. Music unlike any they had heard in their lives and (as they progressed through the slopes and cheery houses of the village) one that only became stronger and stronger. It was an entrancing tune, and strange as it seemed, one that seemed to speak to them. As if the song had a voice. A voice that wept and moaned. A voice that raged at the land.

The duo followed the music up one of the slopes that led up to a door on the side of the Windmill, past the small construction site the duo had seen upon their arrival the night before. Link and Navi put their ears on the door, and noticed the mysterious music they had been hearing had indeed been coming from inside the Windmill.

Oddly enough, the door was unlocked, so naturally, being curious as they were, and entranced by the mysterious Song, Link flung the door open with the upmost care, as if he believed there to be a certain kind of danger to the place, and they stepped into the building.

The Windmill was bigger on the inside than what the pair had expected it to be from the view outside. It was shaped like a cylinder, with no window to the village, and had four walls on the 'corners' that were shaped like fins in the duo's prying eyes. But the real 'centerpiece' of the Windmill was the rotating, wooden platform in the middle, with a pole going up from the center, spinning over its own axis, acting as a motor to the Windmill's blades.

Beside the spinning platform, there was a man, who was standing in front of the wall, with a face so entranced with the music that played that I am just unable to describe it. His eyes were unfocused and his right hand kept spinning the handle of the strange instrument he was playing. The man was almost completely bald, save for the brown sideburns the side of his face that connected to a short, brown, pointed beard and the thick, brown eyebrows over his eyes. He wore a silken, green scarf over an aqua-marine blue shirt that was tattered at the sleeves. His raggedy, tattered, dark-blue shorts had storm clouds stitched onto their edges, and a pair of bony, brittle legs followed all the way to his dirty, uncovered feet.

The instrument he had been playing, also the one producing the enchanting music, was as strange a contraption as strange contraptions go. The first part of it was a brown box with a yellow lock on the front, with small grating holes in the lid and left side, with a handle to the right side that the man had been playing like a music box. However the bottom part of the box featured a black, layered tube that went dangling between the man's legs all the way to his back, where an even bigger box was strapped via a light-blue harness around his arms and waist, with what seemed like a big, metallic-blue gramophone with small, dark-blue bolts holding its pieces together coming out the top.

Link and Navi did not know what to think of the man's condition. So, politely as they could, the duo came closer to the man, who, to their surprise, noticed the children as soon as they came close to him, which made his hand stop spinning and the music reach an abrupt end, his saggy, brown eyes opening wide to the pair.

"Why, hello children." Said the man, starting to spin the crank on his unusual instrument yet again "To what do I owe this most unexpected visit?"

"Sorry to interrupt, sir." Said Navi, hovering about the height of Link's head "But we heard the music you were playing and decided to come and listen."

"It is really enchanting music, by the way." Link added, ever careful not to step on the spinning platform.

The man's hand had been spinning for a few seconds now, and music blasted off from the box yet again. Link was immediately drawn to the strange, metallic sound of the instrument and the man seemed to notice instantly.

"Why, thank you, young ones." He said, his unfocused face now one of clear joy "It is quite flattering to know there is someone who appreciates my Songs. Even when they're not finished."

"So, you do this a lot?" Navi asked, also enchanted at the music.

"Yes my dear." The man replied "My name is Guru, and I am a musician who has been composing Songs about the most unusual places he discovers."

"'Unusual places'?" Link began, eager to contribute if possible "We've been to some unusual places, haven't we Navi?"

"Indeed we have. Can we help you in some way?" Navi continued, crossing her legs as if sitting on mid-air.

"Well, now that you mention it, there _is_ something I might need some help with." Said Guru, stopping the music once more "See, I'm stuck. I'm trying to come up with a musical theme inspired by this Windmill, and the way it goes around and around and around. However I can't seem to find the notes I need, and even still, I'm getting old and the lyrics would escape me, were I to compose them."

"I suppose one always _does_ meet with hardships, no matter _what _profession you choose." Link acknowledged, starting to see were this was leading.

"And you would be right, young sir." Guru stated "I was wondering if, since you said you've been to certain unusual places, you could help me come up with lyrics to the Song I'm composing once I'm done with the music itself. Would you mind helping me out?"

"Lyrics, eh?" Navi said, reading the expression on Link's face, her mind instantly racing to come up with words to go with the music (writing a song about a Windmill isn't the easiest thing ever, you know) "Very well, I believe we can try."

"Splendid!" Guru said, his hands spinning faster and faster, making the music distorted and quick "Tell you what: You go on your merry way, and come back to me when you've thought of something alright?"

"That we shall." Link concluded, backing away from the musician and onto the door "We'll try our best."

"Thank you, young sirs!" Guru waved good-bye and may the winds of fortune be always behind you!"

After waving goodbye to Guru, Link and Navi went out of the Windmill, the sounds of laughter and children running around after each other filling their pointy ears once more.

They were pondering what place to visit next when they heard a desperate plea.

"Help!" Rang out the voice of a young woman "Somebody help me!"

Those words were almost a cue to Link and Navi, and so they ran down from the Windmill, Link's Sword clutched and Navi's hand on her Dagger's hilt. They followed the cries for help around the construction site, running by the carpenters, who sat on the side of it, eating their lunch or discussing their personal lives.

The duo arrived at the back of a big house with a blue roof on top of it, walls of white, smooth bricks and a wooden pen for what the duo had presumed would be Cuccos, with a couple of glass windows looking to the inside of the house.

On the edge of the pen, the duo found the person who had been calling for help. She was a young woman, someone around her twenties for what Link could tell, her thin, delicate face adorned with a pair of big, blue eyes and dark, red hair that she had moved behind her long, pointy ears and dropped down tenderly over her brow. She wore a brown, sleeveless vest over her white shirt, with a line of brown buttons running across the middle. She sported also a long, blue skirt that covered he legs down to a little over her ankles, with a pair of white lines, running along the bottom edge with a trim that went up from the upper line a little ways up the skirt, resembling what Link thought were growing thorns. The white sash in her waist held the long skirt tightly to her torso and on her feet, a pair a pair of brown, sturdy heels.

The lady had a handkerchief in her hand and a worried expression on her face. And Link soon knew why, for beside her, there was a cracked bit of the fence of the pen, a trail of white feathers coming from it.

The lady sneezed hard into the handkerchief before she finally spoke to the pair.

"Oh, thank Hylia you came!" Came the lady's voice, a soft, gentle tone in her worried lips "The fence on the pen cracked and all my Cuccos flew away. Please, help me get them back."

Link and Navi gladly agreed to help the Cucco Lady, half relieved that there had been no actual danger to her safety. (Though Link thought that, judging by his experience in Lon Lon Ranch, _anything_ concerning Cuccos was a danger to people's safety.).

And so Navi flew, up, up in the sky to get a better view of the village. One of the Cuccos had been running circles around a single tree near the entrance to the village, one next to a watchtower, composed of wooden planks and a staircase on one of the slopes to the slopes leading up to the Mountain Trail from where, if climbed, one could see the whole southern section of the village stretching before him or her like a painting.

One by one, Navi started spotting the Cuccos, and one by one, Link and the Cucco Lady started snatching them and bringing them back to the now repaired Cucco Pen. Oddly enough, none of the three had seen to the pen whilst chasing the Cuccos, but none of them paid heed to the matter for the moment. It was an infernal task, partly because the Cuccos apparently had taken a liking to Link's nose and wouldn't stop hitting and sinking their beaks in his face once he finally grabbed hold of them, and partly because of the unusual hiding places they chose. (One of them had taken to hiding inside a wooden box, so you can imagine.) Also, the Cucco Lady, ironically, had a certain allergy to the feathered creatures, so she had to reach for her handkerchief oh so many times during the pursuit.

In the end, all seven Cuccos were finally returned to the lady's pen, and the three were so aroused and exhausted, that Link finally drank half of the bottle of 'Lon Lon Milk' Malon had given him at the moment of their parting. (Which surprisingly to both, was still fresh. As if it had only just been put into the bottle.). The Link and Navi had been catching Cuccos all morning, which gave Link time to get used to the Hylian Shield's weight upon his back and finally forget the ill-taken news from the moments after breakfast.

"One, two, three…" The lady counted "Four, five, six, seven… That's all of them!" She said, glad to be rid of the exasperating labor.

"Not quite all of them, actually." Came another voice neither Link nor Navi had heard before. As the pair turned they noticed the voice was that of a man, who also seemed to be in his twenties in the eyes of our heroes, if not a little older. His handsome face was of thin build, and his eyes were of fiery red, a sign that marked the Shiekahs as the dark and mysterious race they were. His hair was of a dark, purple tone, and it went down to his shoulders, where it pointed back in the manner that resembled spikes. (Yes, you read that right. _Purple hair. _And that's not even the weirdest thing to come.) He also wore a white shirt, over which he had a yellow vest with a neck in the shape of the letter 'V'. The pattern on the front of the vest was an unusual one, for the black trim on the side stretched inwards, filling the yellow vest with the pattern of small, black thorns. His belt was black, with a silver buckle, fastening to his waist a black set of pants that ended abruptly in a pair of big, brown mountain boots. However, the most peculiar feature about this man was not the fact that his hair was purple in color, or the fact that his eyes were red. No, the most peculiar thing about the man was that (unlike three quarters of the population, as Link would later find out) his ears where round instead of pointy, which made the pair very curious to discover where the man was from, as it was obvious he wasn't from Hyrule.

The man had a rather unusual thing in his hands as he came towards the pair: A Cucco, with a red beak and light-blue feather instead of white ones.

"Here you go, Anju." The man said, handing the animal to the red-haired lady, who took it in her hands with the care of a mother "Found this little blighter scurrying around in the Windmill. Giving Guru quite a heading he was, the rascal."

"Thanks, Kafei. But you wouldn't give the old musician a hard time on purpose, would you Cojiro?" Replied Anju, staring into the eyes of the peculiar bird as if it were her most prized possession. However the moment was broken by her sudden need to sneeze yet again, to which Kafei responded by quickly handing her a handkerchief from his vest-pocket.

"I don't get it." Link said, noticing the little controversy of the situation "If you have allergies, then why do you take care of Cuccos?"

"Oh?" Came Kafei's voice, only now noticing the pair and kneeling, so as to have his face at Link's height "And who is this odd, little fellow?"

"These young sir and ma'am helped me get the other Cuccos back to the pen after the fence broke." Anju explained, putting Cojiro inside the pen with the other Cuccos "By the way, was it you who repaired it?"

"With the help of the carpenters." Kafei acknowledged, earning himself a warm smile from Anju "They quite admire you, you know? Now, to answer your question, young man: The reason why Anju takes care of Cuccos is because of her brother, Grog. You see, the guy simply _loved_ the damn things (I never really understood why, mind you) but he went missing a year ago and left his Cuccos alone. So naturally, Anju being her lovely self, decided to care for her brother's pets, allergies or not."

"You think I'm lovely?" Anju inquired, watching Kafei's expression change completely into one of embarrassment and shame, his handsome face turning red.

"And with good reason, too." Navi added, sparing Kafei of the consequences of his words for a few seconds "You're a trooper and a half, Anju."

"Why thank you, young lady." Anju said, bowing in a playful manner to the Fairy "And thank you, too, young man, for helping me catch the Cuccos."

"All in a day's work, ma'am." Link answered, taking a short bow to the caretaker.

"And not even a day." She replied, amazed at the short amount of time it had taken the two of them to gather the feathered creatures "I would have _at least _taken three days to catch the rascals."

"_If_ you had been able to rid yourself of your allergies, that is." Kafei intervened, sprouting a chuckle from Link, who Navi looked at with the most sarcastic of faces.

"Ha ha, very funny, Kafei." Anju replied, obviously bothered at the mention of her condition.

"Hey, a lot can happen in three days." Kafei responded, making Anju and Navi roll their eyes in exasperation.

"Quite so." Link acknowledged. (How many of you are smiling still?) "Well, we better be on our merry way, shan't we, Navi?"

"Yes, unfortunately." The Fairy replied, taking a last look at Anju and Kafei "That mountain isn't going to climb itself."

The duo said goodbye to the merry pair and (after taking a look in the compass Saria had given them and finding their way north) went off to speak to the guards on the gates of the Mountain Trail.

Anju flung the door to her house open and collapsed on the soft, green couch that had been a part of her mother's living room for as long as she could remember, followed by Kafei, who closed the door behind them.

"Well, that was an adventure and a half." Anju said, her red hair now covering her long pointy ears.

"Don't worry, I'm sure you'll still have many of them in the future." Kafei continued, noticing he was alone with Anju probably for the first time since they had been children.

"_That's_ reassuring." She said sarcastically, right before remembering a certain event that was to happen in the near future. "Say, you're leaving back to Termina next month aren't you, Kafei?"

"Yes, I'm afraid I am." Kafei replied. He had forgotten about his return journey home in the time he had spent with his childhood friend, and would have preferred not to speak of the matters any further. After all, there were other matters in Kafei's mind at the moment. Matters he had left unattended for long a time enough.

"That's a pity." Anju said, bringing to her lips a glass of wine from the table in front of the couch, a little something she had prepared for the inevitable tiredness of the job she carried out each day "I would have enjoyed your company until my brother came home."

Kafei walked until he was in front of the small, square table where the bottle of wine was resting upon, and poured himself a glass. He would need the liquor for what he was about to do.

"I wish I could have stayed a little longer as well." He told his friend, the thought of leaving for home resting heavy on his mind.

"Well, it was nice having you around for the year, Kafei. I really appreciate it." Anju said finishing her glass of wine and hanging her arm clumsily down from the couch. The fact that Kafei had stayed by her side since her brother's disappearance was something that kept Anju sane through the loss and depression of Grog's departure, and seeing him leave for Termina was something that filled her with pain, even if not the bad kind. The pair stayed there in complete silence as Anju remembered the day's events: The Cucco that hid inside a box, the one that ran around the tree, the odd pair she had met that helped her gather brother's pets back. Only one though could cross Anju's mind at the time, as she poured herself a second glass of wine.

"This day could not get any more exciting." She said, as she rose from the couch and grabbed the empty bottle to take to the kitchen.

"If you say so." Said Kafei, arming himself with more bravery than he had in his whole, entire life "But it won't stop me from trying."

And then he reached for the back pocket of his pants, and took out a shiny, silver ring with a white jewel on top.

(Ah, Foreshadowing.).


	17. Death Mountain Trail

_Death Mountain Trail_

Link and Navi were making their way to the Gates of the Mountain Trail when they heard the noise of breaking glass coming from Anju's house.

The duo assumed the Cucco caretaker had just had another allergic reaction and dropped a glass in manner of accident, so they paid it little heed and carried on in their merry way.

They went on through the houses and shops of the village until they finally came to the place they had set off to.

The first thing they saw was old Shikashi, speaking to a Guard in front of the old, rusty gates that led up to the rocky trails of the Mountain, the tops of their iron bars adorned with silver spikes.

The Guard dressed as those in Hyrule Castle-Town, and wielded a spear of their like, and his face (or for what our heroes could see, his mouth) was of nothing but greatest intrigue.

When the duo approached, old Shikashi proceeded to explain.

"Well, sir?" Said Shikashi, an imposing tone on his voice "Would you let my young friends through?"

The Guard exhaled as he hung his head, the idea of letting a couple of kids through to Death Mountain of all places a madness of its own kind.

"What our dear Princess had in her mind when she ordered this, I do not know." Said the Guard, still reluctant to let the children climb what in his mind was the way to certain doom "But if it is the Royal Family's wish, then very well."

The Guard put his spear to rest in the grey, brick wall that held the gates together as he grabbed a suspicious item from his pocket (because in Hyrule, even armors have pockets):

The item seemed, at first glance, like an ordinary piece of cloth, not unlike a handkerchief, with the Royal Family's crest embedded in the middle.

It was when the Guard wrapped the cloth around his hand that Link saw the oddity of the item: Strange runes appeared on the handkerchief-lookalike's edges and started glowing a faint, light-blue tone.

The Guard then took the iron bars of the gates in his hand, the faint glowing passing from the cloth to the metal, and flung the iron bars to the _inside_ of the wall to their left, leaving the way open for our heroes.

Link remembered faint mentions of the Phasing Cloth from Saria's stories, and the fact that he actually got to see it in action made him feel like more of an adventurer by the second, even if it was just a simple ways of opening gates and the like.

(OK, so I got out of Cannon a bit. But the way he opens it in the game was quite ridiculous.).

"There you go." Said the Guard, unwrapping the Phasing Cloth from his hand, and putting it back in his pocket "You're clear to go, 'Mister Hero', but I warn you, no matter what game our Princess may be playing, Death Mountain Trail is a dangerous place for a child (by which I mean no disrespect), and it would not be wise to climb it at this time of day."

"Thank you for the kind advice, sire." Link said, noticing the sun going past the middle of the sky, indicating sundown was almost upon them "But I believe I can manage myself."

"Very well, but don't forget you can always come back here for protection if the road gets too perilous." The Guard finished, taking hold of his spear yet again.

Link and Navi both looked ahead at the rocky uphill that was the starting point of the trail, noticing for the first time the great ring of smoke that surrounded the peak of the Mountain, thinking to themselves that, even if they were 'on the clock', they would have liked a bit more time to prepare before climbing the terrifying path.

"I wish the two of you the best of luck in your endeavors." Said Shikashi, taking a short bow to the duo as they prepared to climb the Mountain "And should you ever need my assistance, be sure I will be happy to help."

"Thank you for your kindness, mister Shikashi." Said Navi, bowing in mid-air to her elder, quickly followed by Link.

"We really can't thank you enough." Link said, holding the hilt of the Kokiri Blade with his left hand, and Navi sitting on his shoulder.

"Nor should you, young masters." Said Shikashi, for the last time referring to the duo before their climbing began "Now go forth, and May Nayru, Farore and Din look after your souls with care."

Giving one final salute to mister Shikashi, Link and Navi turned to see the village for the last time before resuming their adventure and heading off to the dangers of Death Mountain Trail.

They went on through the Trail in a relatively straight line, and followed the path right after the first fifteen minutes of walking…

The rocky, uneven path was steep and dry under Link, his feet tiring of the climb which they had started.

He had been walking for about five hours now, and he felt more exhausted from the ascending of the Trail than he had in all his years of climbing trees in the Forest.

"So, how much more will it be?" Asked Navi, coming out of the Nut Bag for the third time since they had started their climb.

"How should _I_ know?" Link replied, noticing the sky had begun to turn black and the sun was already out of view, and holding on to the last of the strength his feet granted him "You're the one who can fly, you tell _me_."

They had been arguing throughout the whole of the way up the Trail, and even though Navi understood that Link was tired, she would have preferred a nicer response than the ones she had been getting as of late.

The gentle, cold, nightly breeze blew softly through Link's hair, making him drowsier and sleepier by the second, no matter how much Navi tried to keep him awake. His legs weighted the approximate weight of his house for what he could tell and the bends of the Mountain Trail were not making it easy for him to stay awake. (To say nothing of the Hylian Shield.).

Finally Link and Navi met with a bend in the path that went left, and decided to call it a day. The path left from where they were, split into two parts: one that veered upwards and onwards unto the very peak of the Mountain, and the other went farther along the edges of the mountain rather than upwards. Link sat down next to a big rock on the bend of the path, unable by exhaustion to take off his equipment, and fell deep and fast asleep (despite the rocky terrain), before Navi had had time to even say 'Good night'.

The morning after, Link awoke with Navi sitting on his shoulder, and a horrible pain on his back. He felt as if his Sword had left a crevasse on his back, and he could feel his Shield unsticking from his back as he tried to sit.

"Good morning, Link." Navi greeted him, stretching her arms, legs and wings to the most of her extent, yawning before taking flight again.

But before she could do anything else, Link's finger flew to cover her tiny mouth. Navi read Link's expression like an open book, his eyes closed, his pointy ears twitching slightly. His whole body stopped moving completely, even his breathing seemed to have stopped. And then she heard it too.

Like the faint beatings of a drum the noise was. _Thump-thump _the noise went, again and again, their minds racing. '_Heartbeats, mayhaps?' _Link though _'No, can't be. There's nothing alive around us'._

And then, he stopped thinking, his own mind cut off from his thoughts as he exchanged glances with Navi. _Of course_ there was something. And they had been sleeping next to it all night.

Swift as the wind the pair rose from their positions as the rock started twitching and groaning. Link stood in front of the stirring rock, still drowsy from just waking up, and brandished the Kokiri Sword in front of himself, both hands on the hilt (Because he was too small to carry the Hylians Shield properly.). Navi flew by his side unsheathing her Silver Dagger from the strap around her leg and pointing it forwards unto the creature.

And then the rock uncurled to reveal that it wasn't a rock at all.

The creature the pair saw was the first of many to come in their strange and bewildering adventures, and one that they would continue to encounter in many a place they would go. The being was at least nine inches taller than Link, and thrice as bulky. It had light-brown skin and a pair of strong, long arms. The creature also had a mark on its left arm, like the small footmark of a monster of some sort, and a pair of big, resilient feet, which seemed oddly disproportionate considering it had legs of a normal size. Its face was round with a small 'peak' at the top, its small patch of light-yellow hair resembling the snow atop a mountain's peak, its huge eyes housing a dark-brown sclera, and an iris of a lighter tone of brown. Its nostrils seemed to be nothing but holes on the front of its face as well as the ears on the sides of it. It had a pair of thick, brown eyebrows above its eyes, and a short light-yellow 'goatee' under its thick, orange mouth. However the queerest thing about the creature was the fact that it's back seemed to be completely made of rocks, with a few little mounts of stone overlapping each other.

"Who wakes me, goro?" The creature said, with a slow, tired voice, as it stood and faced the pair.

"Stay back!" Link exclaimed, pointing the Kokiri Sword to the beast "Don't come any closer!"

"Humans?" Said the creature, still slow and tired from waking "What do you do this far up the mountain, goro?"

The creature scratched its head, and gave slow, easy steps towards the duo, who would still not believe that maybe they had found an intelligent creature instead of a vicious monster.

"I won't hurt you, goro." The creature said, sitting in the ground with its legs in front of itself, its arms dangling between them. "I'm sorry if I startled you, but I was _really_ hungry and came down the Mountain to find something to eat."

Link and Navi realized the creature meant no harm, and (still concerned that it may be a trap) holstered their weapons in sign of peace. (Though Link kept his hand around the hilt of his, just in case.).

"So, that's what you're like." Navi said, noticing what they were dealing with and calming down considerably "You're a Goron, aren't you?"

"Quite right you are, little miss." The Goron replied, finally making Link release his hold on the Kokiri Sword, realizing that he was talking to the people who guarded the item they needed. "And do not fret, young man. We 'Mountain Dwellers' don't eat people, goro."

"Well, that's a relief." Link said, showing of a smile to the Goron "Say, mister Goron? You live atop the Mountain, correct?"

"Why yes young man." The Goron replied, curious about the children and their motives "Why do you ask, goro?"

"Well, you see." Navi said, her hand on her arm once more "We need to speak with your leader, Darunia. We need his help, sir, so would you kindly point the way?"

At this the Goron curled up into a rock again and rolled swiftly over to the path around the edges of the Mountain.

"You will reach Goron City by midday if you continue along this path, goro." The Goron said, pointing a chubby finger towards a slope they hadn't been able to see the night before. "But I must warn you, the Patriarch is not in the best of moods right now, goro."

"Thank you kindly, sire." Link said, bowing to the Goron in humility "But why is you 'Patriarch', as you call him, in such a bad mood?"

"It's better if you hear it from him, goro. I'm not one for long stories. Let alone sad ones, goro."

And with that, the Goron rolled down the Mountain by the side of Link and Navi and disappeared from view in a matter of seconds. The pair was amazed at how amazing the creatures were, and realized that the journey they had embarked on was going to take them to meet people and places they had never dared imagine.

They were so astounded by their thought that they didn't notice the giant shadow that flew above them. (Or rather, didn't pay heed.).

The pair went onwards through the path the Goron had pointed out for about an hour, which didn't seem so bad now that the pair was well rested and awake, until they came to a bend to the right on the path. Before taking the right, however, Link noticed an enormous boulder on the middle of the bend between the paths that for some reason or another caught his eye. He paid it no heed however and kept on his merry way alongside Navi up the mountain for another fifteen minutes and onwards to yet another bend on the left that led up to what seemed like the entrance to a cave for what Link could make out in the distance. They looked down from the Mountain at this point to see the whole of Hyrule Fields stretching out before them, and right at the foot of the Mountain, Kakariko Village, small as Saria's Ocarina, it's previously giant Windmill now the size of a toy. How high must they have been, so the people looked like ants.

The pair went up the slope (which took about half an hour) until they reached what seemed like a monument in front of the entrance to the cave. It wasn't anything magnificent, for what Link could tell. Just a small plot of raised land with a circle of stones above it. Not exactly a golden statue, so they paid it little heed and continued onwards into the cave.

Little did they know, that the cave, like the rock they had slept beside, wasn't just a cave at all…


End file.
